Once Upon a Time Beyond the Void
by Kaimi Kreissel
Summary: Serah and her friends end up in Storybrooke in mysterious circumstances. It appears that the god of the old world is still at large, but is it true? Also, Marian is in town and blocks Regina's path to her happiness.
1. Episode 1: Unseen Intruders

**Episode 1. Unseen Intruders**

**Storybrooke. Present day**

The sunrise was beautiful this day: sky was clear like a crystal with no cloud in sight and a refreshing wind was gently blowing. Another summer day was coming and nothing foretold of appearance of something that was not common to either the Enchanted Forest or the Land Without Magic.

A blonde woman slowly entering the age of thirty was walking across Main Street of the town. She was reminiscing about many different things that happened in the less and more recent story of Storybrooke: Cora's pursuit for power, Peter Pan's quest for eternal life, Zelena's pursuit for the change in time. She was getting used to the danger that was always looming over the town, even though she wished for a break. Now she was heading to Granny's Diner, a restaurant of sorts which was at center of many events that transpired in the past and will surely be a center of the many to follow.

"Hi, Emma, the same as usual?" asked Ruby, a young woman who prominently featured red colors in all of her outfits.  
"Yeah, and don't forget—" she started but the energetic waitress finished the sentence for her:  
"—cinnamon, I know," and both smiled. "By the way, where's Henry? I thought he'd be with you after all that time stuff."  
"He's at Regina's place. Having two mothers is not an easy task for a kid his age," and she looked down.  
"You two really changed her. If not for you we would still be under her curse and she'd be that 'Evil Queen' she always acted."  
"Thank the kid. He came to Boston and brought me here."

Ruby gave Emma the hot cocoa and went to serve other clients at the diner. Moments later Hook came sporting a more modern, yet still leather outfit: it was a recent, welcome change for Emma since he didn't look so grim like he did in his pirate garb.

"How did I know I would find you here?" Hook asked her with smile on his face.  
"Maybe because it's in my daily routine?" Emma questioningly answered.  
"I'm afraid you don't understand the concept of 'rhetorical question', love."

Emma forcefully giggled, but Hook wasn't one to be deceived by simple tricks. His pirate senses were vibrant as ever.

"What is it, Emma? Is it Regina? Or Henry? Or something else?"  
"I... uh... The first two, I guess."  
"They'll be okay. It's not like she's gonna do something evil again. At least not any time soon."  
"Thanks for the word of confidence," Emma said gloomily.  
"Worry should be the last thing a savior should do. You just did what you thought what was right, even though I warned you."  
"Just drink it," she handed her cocoa to Hook. "I'll be at the sheriff's office."  
"Emma!" Hook shouted as Emma left the diner heading to her work.

When she was in the Enchanted Forest of the past, locked in the dungeon in the Evil Queen's castle she was accompanied by Marian. Marian was begging her to free her and Emma did it despite the warning from Rumplestiltskin that change in the events of past will affect the future's outcome. This was the price magic had. This had large impact on Emma, Marian, and most importantly, on Regina.

On her way to the office, Emma was walking past an abandoned construction site when she noticed something strange deep within: an icy sculpture of a dreaming woman in a standing position with her right hand on her breasts. She strayed from her path and went to check out the mysterious object.

"This isn't ice," she said when swiped her fingers across the statue to check the material. "Maybe glass. What is that thing?"

Using fire magic and some destructive methods didn't help at all: the object couldn't be smashed, let alone scratched. Trying to move the sculpture was out of the question as some kind of force was keeping it at place. Emma thought about giving a call to Regina, but quickly shook it off. There was one other man in Storybrooke whose wisdom over magic could help: Mr. Gold.

Emma quickly rushed to the pawnshop where she found Gold doing some cleanup. He looked surprised to see her. It was just few days after another conflict was resolved.

"Gold, I need your help. Something strange appeared in town."  
"'Strange', you say? I'd say that Storybrooke as a whole is quite strange."  
"No, you don't understand. I found this weird ice," Emma was looking for some appropiate word, "I mean 'glass' statue thing."  
"I wouldn't say it's strange. Magic can take more forms that you could imagine," Gold was growing a little irritated.  
"What if I told you that magic doesn't work on it at all?"  
"Miss Swan, are you taking me for a fool? Anything is possible, you're simply not trying."  
"Fine, I'll go get someone else more willing to help," Emma left the shop slamming the door in anger.

The woman wondered about other people in the town who could use magic: Gold was out – he wasn't willing to help at all, Regina – she didn't even wanted to try speaking with her as ever since she accidentally brought Marian back as Regina could explode any moment. There was one other person who could use magic in Storybrooke and would actually be willing to help: the head nun of the local convent.

Emma then went to convent where she hoped to find help. Several nuns were tending the gardens which were overgrowing with flowers this year. Emma just entered the garden when a familiar looking woman approached her.

"Hello, Emma," she said with a wide smile on her face. "You haven't been here in a while. Is there anything you need?"  
"Why yes, Astrid," she replied. "I'd like to speak with Mother Superior. I hope she can help me with something."  
"Mother Superior... Mother Superior... Mother Superior... Ah, yes!" Astrid suddenly said. "She's at the library, picking some books for reading."  
"Thanks, and great work on the garden," Emma complimented on the beautiful patio.  
"It's a fruit of cooperation! I'm sorry but I must return to work," the nun replied and went back to work.

Emma was a little irritated and started to feel like she was a bail bonds person she was before coming to Storybrooke. Minutes later she arrived at the library where she was welcomed by Belle: a woman of a kind heart and gentle nature who wasn't afraid to stand and fight for what was right. Asked about Mother Superior, she told Emma she was in a department with gardening books.

It took Emma a few minutes to find said department as the library was surprisingly large and lacked many information notices. When Mother Superior's dark blue garments appeared, Emma rushed to her.

"I finally found you," Emma said. "I need your help."  
"Emma? Good day. What is it that you need my help?" she curiously asked.  
"There's this strange glass statue thing in the town. I can't get to undo it or destroy it or whatever, and Gold isn't keen on helping."  
"And you went to me? I thought Regina would be the first choice when it comes to dealing with magic," she replied in shock.  
"Regina is with Henry, doing all that heartbreak things, and besides I think helping me would be the last thing she'd do right now," Emma's voice was slightly trembling saying that. "So you'll help me or not?"  
"Well then, lead the way."

They reached the abandoned construction site within ten minutes when they noticed that quite a crowd gathered around the sculpture. There weren't doing anything dangerous apart from gazing at it and wondering about its origin. People weren't touching it being afraid it might be some kind of cursed object which would turn them into statues or do something else.

"What is that? Some kind of a freezing curse?" Leroy was acting up like whenever some kind of sudden curse appeared.  
"What if Zelena is back?"  
"Maybe it's another witch?"  
"Everyone, calm down!" Emma was trying to cool down the crowd. "There's nothing to worry about. Just go back to your lives. I'll handle it, with Mother Superior's help."  
"You sure, sister? Because I can't see you faring well enough in being _even_ a family savior."  
"Hey, that was uncalled for!" the woman replied angrily.  
"Everyone is dismissed. This is nothing major to be worried about," Mother Superior said.  
"They're right. Whatever they'll do it will not bring us harm. After all, Emma did help us a lot. Let's just returns to our duties," Archie said and left with his dalmatian, Pongo.

The crowd dispersed but one person stayed: a young woman with an unusual hair color tied in a ponytail on the left side of her head. She looked at the sculpture with mixed emotions: shock, sadness, happiness. She then approached the statue and grabbed it by the other, loose hand.

"I said we can handle it," Emma answered. "Go home, everything's gonna be fine."

The girl was silent and wasn't paying attention to the two women who were just a few inches away. Then something caught Mother Superior's interest.

"You don't look like an inhabitant of the Enchanted Forest, young miss," she said. "Where are you from?"  
"'E-Enchanted Forest'? What's that?" the mysterious woman replied.  
"I'm Emma," the blonde woman introduced herself, "and this here is Mother Superior. What's your name?"  
"Serah. Serah Farron," she answered confusing the two.  
"'Farron'? That's an unusual name. However, it doesn't ring any bells," Mother Superior was wondering.  
"Do you know what it is?" Emma asked Serah about the sculpture.  
"Yes, but it's not a 'what', it's a 'who'. It's my sister." 

**New World. Year Unknown**

The battle of a woman known in her world as the 'savior' against a powerful god came to conclusion with the victory of humanity. The god was no match to the burning resolve of millions of people wishing to live a life without destiny's shackles, free to define their own future. Everyone earned their peace, even those whose lives threatened the very existence of the world. And the most important among the people was the very 'savior': Lightning.

In the new world, she lived under her birth name: Claire Farron. She abandoned her moniker as it was a symbol of insecurity and adulthood which was a replacement for her parents who died in a previous life. In her new life, Claire was running a small business: she was a florist, and quite successful one at that.

The peace seemed to be eternal, but as always there is something or someone that always imperils it. The heroes of the ages past would have yet to fight another battle. A battle that won't be won with just the magical power of friendship.

"These odinettes are really beautiful, sis," Serah complimented on Claire's red roses with a neon green glimmer. "They shine really bright in the moonlight."  
"True. They remind me of those times which despite quite a pain are some of my favorite," Claire smiled at her sister. "Want some more tea?" she asked her seeing her cup empty.  
"No, it's late and tomorrow I start classes early."  
"And what about you, Snow?" she turned to a muscular man. He was sleeping like a log.  
"Running a common for children surely is wearing my hero off," Serah giggled. "Come on, let's go get him to bed."

After few minutes of struggle, the two women managed to carry the man on the second floor and put him to bed. Snow's weight wasn't something to joke about, especially when you were Serah's enemy which luckily didn't apply to either of women.

Claire went to her bedroom where she changed to her pajamas and dived into her bed. Shortly after fell asleep.

Usually Claire's dreams were those goofy, abstract things that wouldn't happen in reality, at least not in the current reality. But tonight's dream was something different: Claire was in a mysterious place she never was before – an empty town with a large building with clock tower built into it. She tried to leave that place but black mist was throwing her away from every possible exit. However there was one thing where the mist was absent: the clock tower building. Despite being hesitant, she entered the building. Judging from the immense number of books, she concluded it was a library. Suddenly the books created a corridor which Claire was forced to explore as the books were slowly blocking the way she came in. Fourth time in her life, she was scared: the first was when her parents died, the second when Serah turned into crystal and she lost all hope of ever seeing her again, and the third was was when she was dragged to Valhalla to fight battle that couldn't be won. She then came to a lift. As books were closing on her, faster and faster with every second, she hopped into it just before she was squished by them. The moment she found herself inside the cabin, the lift activated by itself and took her deep down.

All of a sudden the lift stopped and when the door opened it was as if she entered a whole different world. The place appeared like a fragmented cave's interior floating within the ocean of stars. Claire carefully continued her journey through the rather surprisingly linear corridor. She walked the curvy passageway when she eventually found herself at a mysterious ethereal place: she was standing on a large circular platform adorned with the images of three gods of the past.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" she asked herself.  
"Welcome home," a mischievous female voice rose and added after a brief moment of silence, "sis."  
"L-Lumina!?" Claire said in shock.  
"That's not how you're supposed to treat your little sister, 'Lightning'," she mockingly replied.  
"You were a vessel for Serah's soul, a safeguard from Chaos. You shouldn't appear, even in a dream." She then added, "Also, I cast my past aside, call me 'Claire'."  
"Come on, give me a hug!" Lumina suddenly appeared behind Claire and hugged her.  
"Stop it!" the woman yelled. "I wanna wake up!"  
"But you can't just yet," Lumina teased. "You haven't seen the best part," and she giggled.

Lumina then briefly turned into a pink-haired woman in middle thirties, hair hairstyle resembling that of Claire's. Claire stared at her for a moment, confused, but suddenly she realized something.

"Mother!?"  
"You want to see her, right, sis?" Lumina asked, her voice sounding almost sincere.  
"But she's gone now."  
"This is a new world, a new beginning after all. Maybe she and your father were reborn here."  
"I... I don't know," Claire replied, her voice was filled with sadness.  
"You don't know if you want to see them? Or you don't know if you'd be happy together?" the 'demon girl', as Snow once called her in the past, mockingly asked.  
"Neither, the idea of those who were long gone and now are alive again is something that bothers me actually."

Then the images of Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui, and Yuj appeared before them. Gadot appeared to be fixing a gun, Lebreau was in the middle of cooking, Maqui was tinkering with some machines, and Yuj appeared as if he was comforting someone.

"They were long gone at the time of your servitude to the 'God of Light', but here they are: in the flesh," Lumina said. "You meet with them quite often. It's as it it isn't you, being all social and stuff," she giggled.  
"They are a different case, they were alive when the Chaos slowly flooded the world. My parents were long gone before that."  
"You became such a softie, sis. It's almost a pain to look at you now."  
"Is this why I'm here in this... dream? So you could make me go look for my parents? Is that it? Or is there something you're not willing to tell me?" Claire asked, with all the experience she had she knew that was something off.

Then out of nowhere Lumina started to fade out.

"Geez, guess my time's over," she said with her usual quirky voice.  
"Hey, don't leave me with no answer!" Claire yelled but Lumina disappeared when she finished the sentence. "Something's definitely wrong. This place is the last place I'd like to be at."  
"Sis? Sis, are you all right?"

A soft female voice sounded within Claire's head. She felt she was delicately shook.

"Wha—? Where am I now?" these were the first words she spoke that day.  
"I made a breakfast and came to pick you up but then I saw you all trembling," Serah replied. "Few minutes more and I would actually call a doctor for you."  
"I was? S-sorry."  
"What did you mean with 'where am I now' thing? Is everything okay?"  
"Y-yes, everything's fine," Claire lied.

She didn't want to worry her sister. Serah already had it hard: first she was turned into a crystal, then went on a journey to find her own sister which only ended up in her own death, and then her soul was being kept inside the mysterious girl Lumina. A crazy dream would most likely draw attention of her sister and she probably would take it as a sign of something dangerous looming over their lives again.

"All right," she smiled. "Get up and come down for breakfast or Snow will eat everything."  
"Thanks."  
"That's what sisters are for, right?" 

**Storybrooke. Present day**

"So you're basically saying that you come from a completely different world and before that you, your sister, and your friends fought for humanity's freedom which was under control of some gods? I got that right?" Emma was assembling the information Serah gave her.

They were at the sheriff's office were the three of them were talking about Serah and Claire's sudden appearance in Storybrooke. The construction site where statue was located had a protective barrier cast on it in case someone would try to destroy it or do something else.

"Yeah, but there's one thing that doesn't make any sense: I remember coming to that new world, living a happy life with Claire and all our friends beside me, but I can't remember how I or my sis ended up here," Serah's voice was filled with sadness.  
"But how it comes she's this 'crystal' object?" Mother Superior asked. This was a peculiar material for her and was curious about it.  
"Back in the old world there were these 'super-beings', they were called 'fal'Cie'. They gave you a mission called 'Focus' and if you succeeded you were turned into 'indestructible crystal' or so the legends said. I was tasked with a Focus myself and turned into crystal, they were the saddest and loneliest moments of my life."  
"So she completed some kind of 'Pocus' and turned to crystal. That solves just one thing," Emma was thinking. "There's still the question of how you came here."  
"Do you remember about any unnatural forms of transportation from your world?" the head nun asked.  
"Yes, there was one thing that was unnatural: Time Gates."

When her Claire's two 'otherwordly' friends saved Cocoon from crashing on Pulse, which would ultimately destroy both worlds, this was when a miracle took place. Claire, Snow, Sazh, and Hope were mysteriously released from their crystal stases and along them Serah and Dajh. Despite the reunion, Claire was taken away to a world where the concept of time was nonexistent: Valhalla. She was forced to a fight against a man who sought to destroy the time just to save a girl 'blessed' with a terrible curse. He started to alter the true timeline, creating paradoxes, which resulted in the appearance of Time Gates: mysterious portals which saved as a way to travel between places affected by the anomalies.

"Time gates? We had a huge problem with that kind of thing just recently. Bad stuff."  
"I know it all too well," the girl said. "You try to change the events so they are true to the original timeline, but at the end of day though, it does more harm than good."  
"Yeah, seems like I done 'more harm than good' this time," Emma said with grim voice.  
"Is it possible you came through a 'time gate', Miss Farron?"  
"Please, there's no need for formalities. Just call me 'Serah'," the girl's face slightly turned red. "But yes, it's possible."  
"That brings another question," Emma said, "the portal linked to the Enchanted Forest of the past, but you say you come from a completely different world."  
"Are you implying that something went wrong with the Time Gate?" Serah asked.  
"This would require some powerful magic," Mother Superior said. "Creating a time portal in this world is difficult and wicked spellcraft and to be able to manipulate it would mean intervention of something or someone with quite omnipotent abilities."

Hook casually entered the office, holding a cup of hot beverage. The women looked at him confused as if asking "why are you here?". He smiled dashingly at Serah, but she just turned her her down. Emma gave him one of her "I'm-so-gonna-kill-you" looks and his face assumed the usual mysterious tone.

"I heard about the 'woman in the ice' thing. What is it about?"  
"It's a long and complicated story," Emma answered.  
"To make it short: that 'woman in the ice' like you called her, is a woman turned to crystal which appeared here along with this young woman. She wants to set her free and return to her home world," Mother Superior quickly explained.  
"And who is that woman?"  
"I'm Serah. Hi."  
"Well, I think I spent enough time here," the head nun of the local convent said. "I'll be going back to my usual schedule."  
"Thanks for everything," Serah said and the nun left. "Emma? I'd like to ask you something."  
"What is it?" Emma asked, quite perplexed about Serah's sudden change in tone.  
"I want to find out why we ended up here."  
"You think someone sent you here on purpose?"  
"Yes. Back in our world, there was always someone who was pulling the strings: fal'Cie, Caius, Bhunivelze, all for their own selfish reasons."  
"I have no idea who are all of them but I'll help, I'm a savior after all."  
"'Savior'? Like those who save souls from drowning in their own sadness?" Serah asked, a strange glimmer appeared in her eyes.  
"I don't know how it was in your world, but here the meaning of 'savior' is quite different."

Then a bright, orange light appeared drawing Emma, Hook, and Serah's attention. They ran out to see a towering building at the city border. It appeared like a cross, or a sword, with its arms facing upwards and emanating a fiery orange glow. Serah was terrified with the sudden new building in the town.

"It can't be..." she whispered through her tears and dropped on her knees.

More and more people were coming out on the streets and pointing at the mysterious building. It was quite an experience for most of them: first a crystallized woman appeared in an abandoned construction site and not less than an hour later a massive 'tower' materializes out of nowhere. Emma's phone started to ring and every call was the same: "What is that thing?", "Is it safe for us?", "Will you remove it?".

Hook then turned to the newcomer who seemed as broken as one could be.

"What is it, love? Why are you crying?"  
"It's... that thing," she said through tears. "It was... the beginning of the end... for me... my sister... everyone."  
"Do you know what's inside?" Emma asked.  
"I'm pretty sure that a fal'Cie is inside... Don't approach that vestige... Please... For everyone's sake."  
"It's dangerous?" Emma continued.  
"It turns you into a l'Cie... and there's no turning back. You're done for either way..."  
"I'll take her to Granny's, she needs her rest after so much shock," Hook cut in.  
"Th-thank you," Serah said.  
"I may be a pirate, but I'm also a gentleman at heart," Hook replied. "I know when I should offer a lady good treatment," and they slowly went to the diner where the inn was also located. 

Meanwhile other two visitors appeared in town, or to be more exact, in the forest. Both were black, a middle aged man along with a little boy, both having afro as their hairstyles, were unconsciously lying among the trees. Along with them was a small, yellow bird, round like a snowball. It was poking the man on his face, but he wouldn't wake up. The same was with the boy. Then the bird started chirping as loud as it could hoping for someone to appear and help them, and few minutes later a man came and noticed the two people lying on the ground. With the help of his companion, he took them to their camp.

They tried various ways of waking the two up: shaking, yelling, and spilling cold water, but with no success. Than out of nowhere, a woman dressed like a bird appeared and startled them.

"That's not going to help," she said with surprisingly upbeat tone in her voice.  
"Wh-who are you?", the camp's leader asked, his son and wife hiding behind him.  
"Oh I'm just an old friend of these two feather fans," and she grinned. "They won't wake up with your traditional methods, oh no."  
"Then what do you suggest we do, 'feather fan'?" asked a bulky man with wavy hair.  
"No need to call me that, friend. I am Chocolina! Lady who wishes to change the world with the fountain of happiness that runs through her very veins!"  
"I am Robin Hood," the leader introduces himself. "This is my wife Marian and that boy beside her is our son Roland."  
"Oh, what a big, happy family!" Chocolina chirped. "Like these two," and she pointed at the two unconscious people.  
"But... I don't see the wife," Marian noted. "Is she... all right?"  
"The big old fellow's wife died a long time ago," Chocolina said sadly. "But he acts tough and all parenty like. The boy needs his dad and that fellow won't allow to make his boy sad or upset. He wants to boy the make the most of his childhood."  
"I understand that," Robin said. "Up until I recently, it was only me and Roland... But then Emma came back and with her..." he waved at Marian.  
"Quite an ordeal you had, I say. Could you look after these two?" the feathery woman asked.  
"Maybe you could tell us how to wake them up or something?" the bulky man asked again.  
"You see, their souls are gone from their bodies but consciousness remains. I just need to find those souls and give them back these adorable duo."  
"I wanna help," Robin suddenly said. "They might be together now, but are not in a state that they can enjoy each other and... as a father I know how hard it is."  
"Robin, you really believe that woman? Look at her strange clothes!" the bulky man said and pointed at the feathery skirt and vest she sported, along with a peacock-like tail and a weird bird hat, all in yellowy orange colors.  
"Little John, let me ask you a question: do you have a wife or a woman you adore?" Robin asked with seriousness in his voice.  
"No," the man replied, "but that doesn't—"  
"Then you _don't_ understand," Robin said. "I trust you don't mind, Marian?" he turned to his wife.  
"Yes, just don't forget about who really matters to you," and she smiled.

Marian was feeling abandoned a bit, but understood Robin, or so she thought: he told her about the true events where she was dead and had to look after their son alone. She felt lost, or more like 'unwanted' in this whole new world. She wasn't meant to be there, she only happened to be alive because of Emma's noble, almost heroic, act. Maybe the fate was toying with her? There was no clear answer. The only thing she knew is that the events were rewritten and she possibly played no little part in that.

Chocolina bid her farewells to the group and went to the town, hoping to find clues about the two men's souls. At the edge of town she noticed an out-of-place tower-like structure on the other side, but gave little thought to that. She then continued her walk when she was passing by an abandoned construction site and something caught her eye: a crystal statue of a woman. Curious she came closer, but few yards away she came upon an invisible barrier which pushed her back.

"I see you're also here, Light," she smiled. "And not happy to see any visitors too."

When she was just about to pass the large gate that was leading to the construction site a blonde woman called her.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" and when the stranger turned to her she added, "Who are you?"  
"Just paying an old friend a visit," Chocolina winked. "Chocolina's the name, at your service!" and she flapped her wing-like arms.  
"Are you some kind of... a bird monster?"  
"A bird I may be, but certainly not a monster." She chuckled. "Actually I'm looking for something."  
"That makes the two us," the woman replied.  
"You're too looking for lost souls?" Chocolina asked.  
"Lost souls? Me? No. I'm actually wondering what's this all about. First Claire, then Serah, later this fal'Cie thing and now you. How the hell all of that comes to Storybrooke all at once?"  
"I don't know, maybe you have a really strong gravitation here or something," the feathery woman joked.  
"I'm not the best person to joke with, Chocolina. By the way, I'm Emma," she replied.  
"Sure lotsa new faces here, yeah?" she responded somewhat confusing Emma.  
"About those souls, what did you mean by that?"  
"You know, haven't you found something unusual in your tea cup or bed? A flickering light, perhaps?"  
"No, nothing like that. At least yet."  
"If you find something, just give me a holler, okay? See ya!" and the mysterious woman dashed deeper into the town. 

**New World. Year Unknown**

The breakfast quickly flew by as Claire, Serah, and Snow were eating and having a light conversation. Snow then went to the common for children, it was reminding him of the times he used to spend in Bodhum with his band with whom they kept peace within the town mainly by occasionally cleaning the woods around the town from monsters. The Bodhum Security Regiment, a local division of Guardian Corps, the Police of sorts, was not fond of a group of civillians dealing with monsters on their own or even to have an organized group which was more helpgul than them. Serah went to school where she was a teacher: she once was in her new home on Gran Pulse, New Bodhum, after Ragnarok appeared. Back then she became a teacher to teach children about why Cocoon, their former home, fell. She wanted them to know the truth about fal'Cie and how they used the great sphere that was once floating in the air as the means of getting to their "Maker". Now it was about teaching them of how the master of all, Bhunivelze, used her and her friends to do his bidding and that every single person in the world made it possible for all of them to live free of the god's shackles.

Claire cleared the table that morning as her sister was in a rush for school. During this chore, a memory appeared before her eyes: her birthday party when Serah revealed she was a Pulse l'Cie, _the_ Pulse l'Cie which threatened Cocoon simply because she existed. She treated her sister coldly, like she was a criminal. Everyone on Cocoon knew the story about the War of Transgression which was a conflict between the floating shell and Pulse and than it nearly led to Cocoon's demise. L'Cie were a driving force during that time and each single Pulse l'Cie which threatened them was more powerful than the previous one. And that's how fear for the land bellow grew over the years. Pulse l'Cie was treated like a bane on the world. Cocoon l'Cie were revered as heroes on the other hand, the saviors of their own paradise, or so they thought. Claire was ready to give up on her sister. But when the news of the discovery of a Pulse fal'Cie in Bodhum were aired few hours later, she realized she made a mistake. She threw away the only person that mattered to her. She then decided to board the Purge train with hope of catching up with her sister and save her. This was when her long journey began, journey which would change the whole world.

Now another crisis looms yet again over Claire's life, although she was confused with what would actually happen. "You want to see her, right, sis?" This question echoed in her head. Lumina was always the source of chaos, quite literally. Whenever she appeared, questions rose, but answers were unreachable. She was a mystery no one could solve.

She wasn't sure if she could see her mother and father. Not after all that happened during all those years. She wouldn't be able to look straight into their eyes.

Suddenly a phone rang, surprising the woman who was lost in thought. "Did Serah forget something?" she thought and picked up.

"Hey, Claire!" a voice of a man well beyond his forty echoed in the receiver. "Long time no hear!"  
"Sazh? That's... quite a surprise," she said in shock.  
"Is it? I told you I'd call you some time soon, remember?"

Then Claire remembered the big reunion party at Hope's place. They were reminiscing all the moments that were lost with the destruction of the old world. They shared their contacts with each other. Strangely, Sazh said he'd call Claire in few weeks time since there was something bothering him ever since they arrived, but he didn't want to talk about it just yet. She didn't give it much thought, considering Sazh's behavior as getting old and rusty.

"What is it that you wanted to talk with me?"  
"I know I was really vague back there at the party. Sorry 'bout that, flower girl," he teased her.  
"Maybe you want to give me a pink dress and a flower bucket and sell them on the streets of some nature-forgotten city?" she replied teasingly as well.  
"Nah," he said and paused for a second. "There's something weird happening with me and Dajh ever since we came here."

Dajh was Sazh's only family. His wife died when the boy was still little. Sazh then devoted himself to raise his son the best he could. They spent a lot of time together. No matter how hard Sazh was trying his best to hide his sadness, Dajh always saw it. He knew he missed mom but that only drove Dajh to be even more cheerful. He thought that spreading happiness all around him would make his dad happier as he believed that mom wouldn't like dad to be so sad all the time.

"'Strange'? Like what? Memory losses? Brands?" Claire asked.  
"No. It's more like we're loosing ourselves altogether," he whispered. "It's like what defines us just... disappears. Memories are intact, I think, but the feelings and everything else... It's just gone."  
"Sounds like Bhunivelze's work," she muttered. "While I was asleep in the crystal stasis, he kidnapped Hope and remade him. He lost memories of those events and was stripped of all the emotions. He also took my emotion away. It was all done as to keep me away from straying from 'my' path."  
"So you're saying that Bhunivelze might be at large again? And using me and Dajh for some evil stuff?"  
"I don't know. He might be dead or asleep again. I can't know that, I never could."  
"Is this world also doomed? Can't we get any peace now? It's like we have nothing to do but only fight those freaks with wicked powers," an angry tone dominated Sazh's voice.  
"I can't help you, I'm not the savior anymore," Claire softly said, sadness ringing through her voice.  
"Sorry to bug ya, Thunder Lady," the man replied.  
"For someone with serious problems you are a cheerful one," Claire remarked.  
"Kids teach grownups a lot these days. See ya," and Sazh disconnected.

Many thoughts rushed through Claire's mind. Her dream where she met Lumina and was teased about her parents, Sazh and his son loosing their personalities. She started to think that something was in the works but with the world as it was now she was powerless to even try to search for the answers. Even if she did, Serah would notice that and quickly find out what Claire was really doing.

After finishing the cleanup which was interrupted by Sazh's call, Claire went to work: her florist store. It was located few streets away from her home so there wasn't any rush for her. Always on her way to work, she visited the local baker and bought a few eclairs. There was something special about them which always calmed her down or brightened her day whenever she was eating one. She payed for her simple groceries and smiled at him when was leaving. Smiling was something enjoyable for her and it always cheered her up whenever someone was smiling. Back in the old days, she rarely smiled. Then, it felt like a sign of weakness actually. She always associated smiling with those weak and helpless women she read stories about. But now it was something different.

Claire opened her store and began her everyday ritual: first she opened the windows to let some fresh air in, then she watered the flowers with little amount of water, and finally she inspected her private flower bed where the odinettes grew. Those roses were a reminder of good and bad times she had with her Eidolon Odin, a faithful stead sent by the goddess to free her from her pain and guide to a better future. The odinettes were of a beautiful burning red color and the neon green glow that mildly emanated from it gave it a really mystical look.

"Good morning!" she heard a warm welcome when the door bell rang.  
"Hello, Lebreau," Claire replied. "It's good to see you," and she smiled. "Came for a visit or to buy some flowers?"  
"Flowers, gotta keep that friendly atmosphere in the café and your petal beauties sure do the job."  
"It's good to hear that. So what is it for today?"  
"I'm thinking about tulips. Patrons seem to like them a lot," Lebreau replied. "How's the business going?"  
"Hmm... What do you call it? I think it's 'blooming'," she replied with a giggle and Lebreau giggled as well.  
"You got _that_ right."  
"And how's the café? Are the guys helping you out?"  
"You know Gadot, always this tough guy attitude. Besides, he's a terrible kitchen help. Maqui is not much better: if he could he'd just stay all the time at his workshop tinkering with something," she sighed, but put on a weak smile.  
"And Yuj? He's the most outgoing of those three so I think he would be actually helpful somewhat," Claire asked.  
"He takes orders and brings food to the tables. I'm actually amazed how he hasn't messed up anything. But the cooking's on me. It's not bad really, I'm used to that." Lebreau then looked at the clock above the counter: it was ten o'clock. "I must hurry. I'll send one of the boys with the order later. Bye!" and she left, the bell ringing when she closed the door.

The day was finally looking better now for Claire: a visit from her old friend and a casual chatter were just the right things to let her loosen up. She took a quick look at the woman's silhouette which was getting smaller with every step. 

**Storybrooke. Present day**

In the town's suburbs, in a white, elegant two-store house on 108 Mifflin Street, a woman plunged in anger and sadness was lying on the floor of the living room. She was accompanied by a 12-year-old buy, her adoptive son, Henry. He was actually surprised that his adoptive mother didn't want to throw him out: after all her heart was broke and feelings hurt when Emma came back from the time portal with no other than her lover's wife. Everyone was shocked to see Marian in Storybrooke since in the original timeline she died from the Evil Queen's hand. But most shocked were Regina and Robin, the people who came close to each other and discovered the fires of love anew. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Marian and Robin were a wife and man with a little boy Ronald. Seeing Marian coming with no other than Emma, she blamed the savior for ruining her happiness.

"Let's hope you didn't bring anything else with you," those were her final words to Emma that evening, full of anger and hatred.

Now she was lying there on the floor, crying, and occasionally cursing Emma and Marian. Henry didn't like seeing his mother in this state, nor when she was acting like the Evil Queen she was in the past.

"Mom, you gotta eat something," he tried to give Regina a slice of bread. "Please," he added when she pushed it away with her hand. "I need you."  
"W-why is it always m-me?" she sobbed. "M-maybe villains can't get h-happy endings?"  
"You're no villain, not anymore," Henry silently said. "Of all the 'bad guys', you made the most effort to become a 'good guy'. Everyone needs happiness. Even former villains," and he warmly smiled at his mother.  
"Th-those are sweet words, Henry," she replied through her sobbing, "b-but I think the odds are ag-gainst me here."  
"No, no one's against you. You're just giving up on yourself."

He then went to the kitchen and from the cupboard he took a glass which he filled with apple juice.

"But I won't give up on you," he handed her the juice. She took it and looked at her image in the juice.  
"Wh-why did I even l-let you in?" Regina wondered. "You're nothing but an annoying soothe talker, you know that?"  
"Maybe because you don't want to be alone?" Henry replied.

Despite loosing her lover, Regina didn't want to be alone so that's why she let Henry in. Now she understood it, even though it seemed she was doing things without actual conscience of doing it. Sharing your pain with someone, no matter how much it hurt, made it somehow easier for her. All the years of loneliness after the loss of Daniel, the stable boy she fell in love with and who was killed by her ruthless mother, were the kind of pain that she didn't want to feel anymore. Having someone by her side, no matter what, was the only thing she ever wanted to have. 

At the same time, Serah was lying in her bed in Granny's Bed 'n Breakfast, thinking about her previous home where she lived together with Claire and Snow. And she also was thinking about this strange town she ended up. The last thing she could recall was black fog covering her world.

Then she heard knocking on her door.

"Wh-who is it?" she asked.  
"It's me, Emma," she heard a female voice.  
"And her dashing pirate in shining leather," a deep male voice with accent sounding like one of her 'otherwordly' friends spoke up.  
"Don't flatter yourself, Hook," she scolded him.  
"Okay, coming."

Serah stood up and unlocked her door letting her visitors in. Emma was holding a bag in her hand while Hook was was holding a bottle, she presumed it to be some kind of alcohol since it was every pirate's favorite type of drink, or so she was raised by reading books and watching movies in the TV.

"Is there anything you need?" Serah asked.  
"You had a rough start here in Storybrooke, so we thought we could come and talk," Emma replied.  
"Actually, I do have some questions," the pink-haired woman remarked.  
"As do we, love," Hook winked.  
"You're a visitor here so you should ask your questions first," Emma suggested.

Serah invited them inside. She sat down on the bed while Emma and Hook went with the chairs.

"What is this town? It seems like Oerba, like the time stopped here."  
"This town was under a curse, actually two," Emma replied earning Serah's confused look. "First was a very long one, it lasted twenty eight years, and during that time this town was separated from the outside world with an invisible barrier and was actually frozen in time."  
"That sounds terrible."  
"People didn't age physically, they stayed the same for those twenty eight years. But were alive and kicking," Emma gave a weak smile. "And their memories of their previous life was locked away with the curse."  
"It sounds as terrible as what Bhunivelze was planning."  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I broke that curse. And not too long ago another curse was broken."  
"What was it like?"  
"It lasted only a year, but the events of that year were locked away from the memories of the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest. My memories of Storybrooke were also locked away, so I could lead a happy life with my son."  
"But I jumped in and saved the day," Hook intruded. "It wasn't easy finding Emma. A harder task was even convincing her to drink the memory potion so she could save the day again."  
"And you did?" Serah turned to Emma.  
"Actually, it was Regina this time," and her face saddened.  
"Who's that?"  
"She was the one responsible for the first curse. It was her revenge on my mother," Emma replied. "But enough of that for now. I'm sure it starting to overwhelm you. Maybe we should eat for a change?"  
"Straight to the point. We should eat before these are cold," Hook said pointing at the bag Emma brought with her which was now lying on the table.  
"What's that?"  
"Chinese food, good to make you feel fresh and regenerated," Emma said.  
"You have any jugs here, love?" Hook replied. "This 'coke' won't drink itself."  
"I don't know, I didn't really checked up the things here," Serah replied.

Emma rolled her eyes and from the bag she took three plastic cups, surprising Hook.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.  
"I took them as a precaution from my apartment if a situation like this happened," Emma replied.

Soon, they started to eat, occasionally telling a joke or two. When they finished Emma turned to Serah.

"It's our turn for some questions: where are you from?"  
"I'm from a seaside town where I lived with my sister Claire and my fiancée Snow. There were also four friends that lived there: Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui, and Yuj. But it was all taken from me," she looked down.  
"What happened?"  
"I can't remember exactly. There was this black fog that covered our world and that's the last thing in my memory."  
"Sounds like the dark curse," Emma noticed.  
"I don't think it's the same curse as the one you had here," Hook said.  
"What makes you think that?" the blonde asked.  
"As a pirate with a ship with sail made from the feathers of the legendary Pegasus I was free to travel all across the world and I can assure you I haven't seen a person dressed quite like Serah here, not to mention even a place with people in it like her," Hook replied.  
"There are some parts of my memory before this fog came that are... locked away, and I can't recall them," Serah silently said.  
"Don't worry, it'll all come to you in time," Emma said. "You just need some kind of trigger for that. A powerful one at that."

Serah lied in the bed and looked at the ceiling. It had a similar look to the Gran Pulse sky night she remembered back from her old days in New Bodhum. It was a dark blue color, with large white moon and surrounded by hundreds of shiny little stars.

"I think Claire knows something," the pink-haired woman said. "She was always the one who got caught in the affairs of the gods of our old world, same as me."  
"Right now she's not much of a help," the pirate reminded.  
"Hook!" Emma hissed thinking that his comment would make feel Serah sad.  
"No, it's alright. I was scared at the beginning but now I'm calm. She was a crystal twice, and she returned to the realm of the living after each of her crystal stases. I just need to wait for that moment," and she smiled.  
"I meant to say that earlier but you handle your current situation pretty well now," Emma said.  
"It's just that I know I have people here I can count on. I'll make it through."  
"We're strangers to each others and yet you seem to trust us completely," the blonde noted.  
"Especially a pirate, this kind is not easy to work with," Hook added.  
"I know from experience that friends help, even if sometimes things doesn't work out the way you think they would," and she smiled once again.

After that three said their good-byes and the visitors left leaving Serah alone in her room. She took a shower which that night seemed like a blessing from heavens as it allowed her to loosen up. When she went to bed, she took another look at the familiar image on the ceiling.

"We'll find the answers, Claire."

Soon after, sleep came and it was one of the nicest ones she had: she was reunited with her sister, fiancée, and all their friends, everyone smiling, back in their home world.


	2. Episode 2: Gift of the Goddess

**Update: February 20th, 2015**

Due to recent discovery of how the localization of _Final Fantasy XIII-2_ and _Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII_ treats the concept of life being simplified, this episode was rewritten to be accurate with Japanese canon.

* * *

**Episode 2. Gift of the Goddess**

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

The mysterious building which appeared yesterday was towering over the town and was visible from every window that faced its direction, including Serah's windows in Granny's B&amp;B. She hated the structure with all her heart and if it was possible she would just 'wish it away', into the Void.

When she dressed up, she came to the diner where she was greeted by the establishment's owner, Granny, and her ever fiery granddaughter, Ruby.

"Storybrooke Special coming right up," the elderly woman said as Serah was approaching the counter. "This one's on the house, so don't worry about the payment."  
"Really? I wouldn't feel right eating for free while others pay," Serah's face turned slightly red.  
"You better accept that. Granny rarely does this kinda thing," Ruby said with a smile.  
"Ruby, off with you!" the woman scolded the young woman hasting her to serve the clients.  
"But that's how it is!" Ruby giggled and quickly went to the tables.  
"Alright," Serah accepted the free meal. "But I'd like to repay you somehow."  
"Eat now, child. It won't stay warm forever," she hastened Serah as well.  
"R-right!"

Serah sat down at a free table and was served the 'Storybrooke Special': it was scrambled eggs with bacon, four slices of bread with butter, and few fried tomatoes. For drinking, she was given a peach compote; Granny said it's the best drink to start a morning. The meal was delicious: Serah could say that Granny's cooking could rival that of Lebreau, although if she would pick who cook better she'd chose the old lady. There was something amiss in Lebreau's cooking that Granny's bested it. The compote was also great, sweet in a way that she didn't feel that her teeth could fall of any minute.

Then Emma came in and noticed the lone pink-haired girl. She bought cocoa and approached Serah's table.

"Mind if I join in?"  
"No," she replied. "Actually, it's a bit sad sitting here by myself," she admitted.  
"Wanna talk about it?" the blonde asked.  
"There's no need. It just feels better to have someone at your side."  
"How was the night?"  
"Calm," she replied with a smile.  
"That's good to hear."  
"Emma, where was it? The Time Gate, I mean?" Serah suddenly changed the topic.  
"At Zelena's barn, although I don't think that could help," Emma replied.  
"Let's go there!" Serah said with a mysterious light in her eyes. "I got a hunch, but unless we don't go we won't know if it's true or not."

Emma looked at Serah with confusion but decided to do as she asked. They left the diner and entered the blonde's car, a yellow Volksvagen Beetle, which she drove them to a house on a lone hill. When they arrived, they entered the barn. It was quite roomy, with a large, circular emblem engraved on the ground.

"This was the time portal which linked with the Enchanted Forest of the past," Emma said pointing at the emblem. "So what was that hunch about?"  
"A surprise, I hope," she replied.  
"That's very vague and I can't rely on things like 'hunch' all the time."  
"Look for something out of the ordinary," Serah advised. "Something that even this Zelena of yours wouldn't have."

Despite giving Serah a questioning look, Emma decided to look around the barn. It appeared that aside of the emblem on the ground, everything else seemed normal. There were some gardening and farming tools, a few building tools, and some construction materials. She peeked in a few cabinets, but there was nothing unusual in them: there were simply some old tableware.

Serah, on the other hand, was inspecting the emblem: she believed that the 'out of the ordinary object' would be around it. After few minutes spent digging around it she gave up on that object and decided to search other places. Her sight turned to a cabinet in a dark corner of the barn. She approached it and tried to opened but it was locked.

"Emma, do you know how to open that?" she asked.  
"Sure."

Then Emma approached the cabinet and using a thin nail she found nearby attempted to pick up the lock. After few tries it unlocked and a rather strange mirror appeared before them. Serah felt like she saw that somewhere before.

"How did you do that? And with a _nail_?"  
"Neil taught me a few tricks," she replied. "You seem like to know this mirror."  
"I think I saw it during my quest to help Claire."

Then an orange glow emanated from the mirror and something appeared inside it.

"I think... I think that's it!" she exclaimed. "There's definitely something inside that mirror!"  
"Something inside the mirror? Like in the mirror of Erised from _Harry Potter_?" Emma asked.  
"_Harry Potter_?" Serah replied with a question.

Serah then extended her right hand to touch the object in the mirror. The mirror reacted to her touch and inside her right hand a crystal appeared. It was double-ended: on each side there was a green spike, and towards the center of the crystal its color turned to blue. The center of the object had many small spikes. Quite unusually, the crystal was floating just an inch or teo above Serah's hand.

"We found it," she said with a smile.  
"We found _what_?" Emma asked with mixed confusion and anger in her voice.  
"It's called a 'fragment'," Serah explained. "'Time and memory, frozen in crystal,' or so I heard. Although I hoped for something more."  
"'Time and memory, frozen in crystal,'" Emma repeated. "You think this might hold some kind of answer for us?"  
"The only way to know is to see the recording," the pink-haired woman replied.

Emma stood next to Serah who touched the fragment with her other hand and a screen of sort was projected before them, with a still image and text next to it.

The image showed a crystal throne in a large, ceilingless room. An orange blue sky could be seen with faint lights adorning it. On the throne a woman was sitting: she wore a helmet which covered her eyes and was adorned with a long, white feather on the each side, a quite revealing, silver armor exposing her stomach, arms, and legs, and from each of her pauldrons sprang a wing from white feathers. The text that was placed next to the image was named "Gift of the Goddess". The entry was written in an otherworldly script that only Serah could read. The text said: "_In her desperation to be noticed by her Maker, the Goddess tore her own body and as a result went to the another world, but this act was not seen by her Maker who abandoned her and his other children. Another god created by her Maker used the Goddess's blood and created humanity as their means of reunion with the one who abandoned them. Soon after, humanity was gifted by Her with a powerful force which allowed them to be their own: a heart. And so, the 'Gift of the Goddess' was created and without it, humanity is doomed to __the servitude to selfish gods__._" The entry finished there and the two women looked each other with a face saying "I'm-pretty-sure-it's-a-dud".

"Interesting story of how humans were born in your world, but I don't think it will help us," Emma said.  
"Maker... Goddess... Chaos..." Serah was reading the words written in capitals. "'Gift of the Goddess'..."  
"What does it all mean? How it could possibly relate your world to Storybrooke?"  
"The 'Goddess' must refer to Etro, the same goddess who bestowed upon me a gift which was more of a curse really, and it related to Chaos," Serah answered.  
"What's this 'chaos' thing then?"  
"In my world it is a powerful force which can destroy space and time. Partially because of me, Chaos destroyed the old world, but the humanity won it freedom and a new world took the place of the old one."  
"Do you think this 'chaos' could come here through this time portal with you?" Emma asked and noticed Serah's sad face when she heard the blonde one's theory.  
"It could be that Chaos came here with you and then it brought me, Claire, and the Vestige back."  
"Are you sure you're the only ones here?" Emma asked.  
"What do you mean? Is there anyone else from my world here!?" Serah asked.

It was somewhat comforting to know that she wasn't the only one from her home world here. Yet the thought that many more people she cared about could be in this mess too was making Serah's heart ache.

"I saw a chicken lady yesterday," Emma replied. "She sure was one lively chatterbox."  
"A talkative woman in feathers? Were they... orange and red in color?"  
"Yeah. Where are you getting with that?"  
"It's a good friend of mine. Her name's Chocolina."

* * *

**Valhalla, Beyond Space and Time**

After her suicidal attempt to be noticed by her Maker, Etro descended to the realm beyond space and time. She looked around and found herself in a grand city with tall buildings surrounded by an ocean of dark blue water and beaches laden in crystals of all colors. Floating obelisks raced across the dark, cloudy sky. However, one building in this mysterious place was a towering structure, possibly a palace which was adorned with sharp tops and circular, neon green object, similar to a clock face, which emanated with gentle glow.

Suddenly a corridor of black fog formed leading Etro to who knew where. With a naive thought in her mind that her Maker might have finally noticed her, she followed the road created by the mysterious mist. After some time, Etro reached the entrance to the tallest building in this place. The place was a maze of rooms, corridors, and staircases, but the black fog showed her the correct path. After much time passed and she climbed countless of staircases, Etro arrived at the large chamber with a tall crystal throne in light blue color.

One thing appeared out of place here: a figure sitting on the throne, covered in black fog. The figure and the Goddess were both silent for few moments, but then the mysterious character arose from the throne and spoke to Etro.

"Welcome Child to the realm inbetween reality and illusion, Valhalla," a distorted female voice with a pinch of anguish came from the figure.  
"Who are you?" the confused Goddess asked. "I thought that my Father would finally be here, that he had finally noticed me."  
"'Father' is a creature devoid of emotion, seeking only eternal rule," the figure replied. "However there is someone else who can grant you your wish of love."  
"Who?"  
"The god Lindzei created creatures from the blood that spilt from your body to use them as a tool for your 'Father'."  
"Please, tell me: how can I get their love while they are puppets of him?" Etro asked.  
"I will very soon fade away from this realm, and descend onto the next. With my passing, you will receive a gift that can help the creatures created from your blood," the figure replied and grew smaller.  
"What is this gift?"  
"It is called 'Chaos'. But be careful with this mist of blackest night: shall it rain on the realm of the living in amounts that could cover it whole, it will be the beginning of the end. You see that fog that covers me whole?" the figure asked. "_That_ is Chaos. Also, there is something you need to do as the guardian of this place once I am gone: the souls which pass here are to return to the realm of living."

Suddenly the figure who stood in front of the throne started to disappear, bit by bit. This scene scared Etro, but the other character seemed to be finally at peace.

"Protect the world," she said. "Banish your Maker into oblivion and set your offspring free."

Just as she finished her sentence she completely dissolved leaving Etro more clueless than she already was.

"H-How?" she pleaded to the now empty throne.

She then spent much time thinking about the mysterious figure's last words. Etro wasn't sure she could protect the world, let alone banish her Maker into oblivion. However she was discarded by him. Even after her suicidal act there was no answer from him. It was like he shut her out of his life, like she was some kind of a trash.

Still, there was hope: the creations that were made from her own blood by Lindzei, one of the three children that her Maker created. There were just empty shells, bereft of any meaning, doing exactly as it was told to by her Maker's children.

She looked at her hands and saw small swirls of Chaos in palms of both her hands.

"Will it be enough to make my children free?"

At that moment, a grand eye-shaped green object appeared high above the temple. Countless of little lights started to flood into Valhalla all at once and Chaos started to escape through the portal. Etro suddenly had a vision with clear message: if the Chaos would flood the world, it would be destroyed. And there was one more thing: no matter how much she would try, the Chaos would try to break free from Valhalla and come to realm of the living, all for the sake of existing beyond that plane.

"Let this be a light that will guide on your path through life, may it give you meaning."

Etro walked to the balcony that overlooked her world and closed the portal with wave of a hand. She then proceeded to what she thought would be the best: she bestowed upon the lights—souls—a small piece of Chaos: their heart as people dubbed it eons later. That way her children could live free to decide for themselves and the destructive substance would be held at bay. That was her only way to stop the Chaos from flooding the realm of her offspring and corrupting it beyond repair.

The new goddess of Valhalla conjured a staircase to the crystal throne and stepped slowly. Despite what she did few moments ago, she still didn't think she was fit to rule over this empty realm. She was young and inexperienced, thrown into what she thought would be a terrible conflict that would span millennia, if not eternity. When she reached the throne she turned around and looked longingly, still hoping that her Maker would notice her, but without wished results. She finally set on sitting on the throne and the moment she did numerous images appeared in her mind. There were so many of them that she couldn't recall a single one after they disappeared.

* * *

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

Emma, Hook, and Serah spent several hours looking for Chocolina but without success. The pink-haired woman wanted to talk with the feathery woman in hopes she might know more than she. Search in the town didn't proof fruitful and they were slowly running out of options.

"Any ideas of where to look next?" Emma asked after leaving another store.  
"She might have a 'nest'," Hook suggested and earned a cold look from the blonde. "All I mean is that if she's a bird she could actually be in the forest. From my experience birds tend to live in forests."  
"That sounds actually smart," Serah agreed and went in the opposite direction of the structure that appeared here just yesterday.  
"You sure this Chocolina woman will be _that_ way?" Emma asked.  
"She might seem reckless at first but she knows which places to avoid," Serah replied with a smirk.

They continued to the forest where they found quite large yellow and orange feather.

"That's definitely Chocolina's," Serah remarked. "We might be able to track her down by following their trail." Then silently she thought about one of her friends, "I wonder if Noel used similar tactics in his hunting days."

Sadly, there weren't many feathers which would help them find the feathery woman. While some appeared to be of Chocolina, some seemed to be from birds native to the forest surrounding Storybrooke.

"This is like a wild goose chase," Hook remarked. "If she's really here, we'll have hard time finding her."  
"Yeah, Chocolina could be described like one," Serah giggled, but quickly turned serious, "Are here any 'hunters' or someone of that sort who could help us?" she asked.  
"There's Robin Hood and his Merry Men," Emma replied. "They live in the forest, although I wouldn't call them 'hunters'."  
"Might as well try there. Lead on," Serah slightly pushed Emma.

Emma led her group through densely forested area and soon after they came upon a settlement of sorts, composed only of tents. With Emma and Hook being acquainted with Merry Men, they were simply ignored, however Serah and her pink hair caught attention of Little John. He analyzed her appearance and muttered something under his nose.

"Umm, excuse me?" Serah approached the bulky man. "Have you seen any woman adorned with _big_ yellow and orange feathers? She looks like a cho— _bird_," she was about to say 'chocobo' but decided against it as she thought that maybe there are no chocobos in this world and it was better to go with something far more common.  
"Why do you ask?"  
"Wh-Why shouldn't I?" Serah nervously replied.  
"Have you seen her or not?" Emma butted in. "Don't forget I'm a sheriff here, I can interrogate you."  
"Fine," the man replied. "Someone meeting your description was here yesterday. She apparently knows something about those two guys who we found yesterday too."  
"Two other people?" Serah wondered. "Can I see them?" she asked with a spark of hope in her eyes.

Emma looked menacingly at the man: she knew Little John was a man of little trust and winning it was a harder thing than being a savior. He showed them to a green tent where two men were soundly sleeping: both had black skin and sported afro. One was short, no more than eight years old, and the other one was tall, about in his forties.

Serah made a sound which was a crossover between happiness and sadness. She quickly noted their quite unusual state: deep slumber. Something was definitely wrong, that much was obvious. But what was a source of that state was a mystery to her.

"Sazh, Dajh..." she muttered. "What happened to you?"  
"You know them?" Emma and Little John asked her at the same time. This silly synchronization led to a little giggle from Serah.  
"Yes, back in my world we were all friends," she replied after which she added, "but it felt like a family to me," and she smiled.  
"Their souls are gone apparently," a female voice suddenly appeared behind them.

It belonged to a slender woman with dark hair and brown eyes, skin dark like a tree branch. She was wearing clothes that differed from what other Merry Men wore, like it was from another time.

"Marian?" Emma startled. That sure seemed like out of character. "How you know that?"  
"I heard you before," she replied. "Chocolina was here yesterday and spoke about 'missing souls'."  
"Was she here today?" Serah quickly asked.  
"Yes, she went with Robin who insisted on it." Marian let a sigh of deep disapprobation seeing her husband's behavior as something that harms her.  
"You seem quite dissatisfied, lady," Hook noticed Marian's behavior. "Afraid of loosing your love?"  
"What a... man like you would know?" she hissed.  
"I have my share of pain with love," the pirate replied remembering about Milah's death from the hands of her very husband.  
"We're not here to discuss love affairs," Emma reprimanded the two. "What do you know about their souls, Marian?"  
"Aside of that they're lost, nothing much more, only that they are supposedly somewhere in Storybrooke."  
"Does Chocolina has anything to do with their souls?" Serah asked.  
"She told us about them, weird woman that one," Little John replied. "Her attire is absolutely something that should be burned at stake."  
"And she and Robin went to look for them?" Emma asked.  
"Yes," Marian replied.  
"Do you know where they went?" Serah delved Marian and Little John with questions.  
"They went to the Wishing Well," the bulky man replied. "I know it's supposed to be magical, but I don't think they'll find answers there."  
"We now know were to actually look," Emma said and turned to Hook and Serah, "Let's go."  
"Emma," the blonde suddenly turned when her name was said: it was Marian. "Please bring Robin home. I'm afraid for him."

Emma simply nodded and left west for the Wishing Well with her other two party members. In the distance, a mysterious figure observed the three. Serah could swear she heard something and turned around, but only trees' branches were slowly dancing to the wind blowing through the forest. As the three made their way to the Well, dull, restless voices could be heard, although they differed greatly from what one could consider 'normal'.

When they arrived at the place, they saw some of the most wicked-looking creatures: they varied in size and shape, but one thing was consistent: their color – white.

"What is _that_?" Emma asked shocked with the view. "I've never seen anything like this."  
"I-I am not sure, but th-that might be a C-Cie'th," Serah replied, her face all pale. She then turned her head to Emma as trying to ask a question.  
"People of Storybrooke wouldn't go to that thing, I'm sure," the blonde replied. "They have too many issues with magic and stuff and that 'vestige' thing is the last thing they want to visit."  
"B-But I don't u-understand..."  
"If there's one thing I _do _understand is that we're surrounded!" Hook shouted when white creatures started to close on them from all sides. "Quick, love," he turned to Serah, "does these monsters have some sort of weak spot?"  
"Magic could harm them, but I don't have that," the pink-haired woman replied.  
"Does it _always_ have to be me?" Emma asked with resignation in her voice and started to accumulate magic energy in her hands.  
"Wouldn't you mind charging that magic of yours?" Hook hastened the blonde. "It's not like I want to end us a 'Cie buffet'!"  
"Why don't _you_ try?" Emma hissed.

Suddenly a Cie'th with monstrous body and wide arms appeared behind Emma. Just when it was about to strike the woman, Hook came just in time to shield her from the powerful attack which sent him flying on the nearest tree.

"Hook!" the blonde exclaimed and cast the spell at the creature which attacked the pirate. Cie'th disappeared into black mist.

Emma was charging up another spell, the one she intended to have somewhat wide area of effect. Serah was crawling on her back, looking for some safe place in the area. Then a swarm of small Cie'th hardly reminding that of butterflies charged at her.

"Please, no!" she mumbled.  
"Choco Feathero!" a female voice suddenly appeared somewhere behind her. Several large red feathers stabbed the flying monstrosities which nearly instantly dispersed into black mist. "Choco-boco-morning!" she greeted the group with excitement on her voice a big smile on her face.  
"What the—!?" Emma was shocked with the sudden appearance of a new combatant and released her magic too soon causing little more than a burst of energy ten feet before her.  
"Chocolina?!" Serah was surprised to see her old companion, especially since she wasn't exactly the one to fight, or at least she haven't seen her in one.  
"The one and only!" the brunette chirped in her usual, lively manner. "Here, use this to fend of these nasty little crickets!" she said conjuring a sword of most weird design she ever saw: it resembled a spread chocobo wing, with silver handle and blade of red and yellow feathers.  
"Th-Thanks!" she said.  
"Let's get them!"

Chocolina cast several quite strong wind spells, slaying lots of flying Cie'th. Serah, on the contrary, advanced to the bulkier and more dangerous foes. The pink-haired woman still remembered her trainings with Noel, a hunter from a lost age: he always taught her to be one step ahead of her opponent, knowing a weakness or two of her enemy. While the Cie'th she fought in the past were susceptible to magic she tried using few, but nothing came to her. Chocolina's magic wasn't also effective. She also tried to slash a few cuts, but the monster was also resistant to it. She then decided to analyze the behavior of the creature hoping it will help her form a proper strategy. Serah noticed that while her opponent was large and strong, it also happened to have great delay between moves, shielding its front when it felt it was too exposed. She look at the monster's chest and noticed a complete Cocoon l'Cie brand. _Maybe that it's weak spot!_, she thought and decided to give it a try.

"Come at me!" she said menacingly while leaning over.

As the Cie'th was about to deliver a powerful blow, he missed Serah who evaded it just in time, and instead it ended up having its arm stuck in a tree. The creature then used his other hand to strike the woman but she swiftly cut it off. Serah then pierced the brand and the Cie'th disappeared into the black mist. She could swear that of what appeared to be its face, although the eyes were covered with hands, she saw a faint smile. That scared her a bit, but continued with other bulky Cie'th.

Some time during the battle, Emma woke up and approached Hook who was in pain.

"Hook, you're alright?"  
"I think I broke a rib or two. Plus, my heart won't stop pounding like a bucking bronco," he replied and yelled in pain.

Emma concentrated some magic into her hands and cast a healing spell to relieve him of _some_ pain at least.

"Wait, where's Robin?" she yelled at the two women after she realized that Chocolina was said to be with Robin.  
"I-I think we have a bigger problem, Emma," Serah replied pointing at a snake-like Cie'th with multiple arms acting as its head.  
"What is _that_?" the blonde asked.  
"Appears to be some sort of mutated Cie'th!" Serah replied and evaded just in time a swept of its tail.  
"How do we beat something that has like eight million arms?"  
"Let's play rock-paper-scissors with it," Chocolina replied to Emma's question. Her sense of humor was certainly an odd one.  
"I don't think it's gonna help," the blonde murmured angrily.  
"Actually, that's a wonderful idea!" Serah exclaimed. "Chocolina, you and Emma create me a diversion," she ordered.  
"What about you?" Emma asked.  
"I'm gonna play the scissors part," she replied with a smirk.

In nearly an instant, Chocolina and Emma joined their forces by casting combination of light and wind magic, effectively drawing the Cie'th's attention away from Serah. When the creature was taking short breaks between the attack, the pink-haired woman was quickly cutting the arms from the monster. After a few minutes, only a giant arm, a part of the main body left and was relentlessly attacking anything around.

"We need to make it into a team effort if we want to beat it!" Serah yelled from a distance to Emma.  
"Any ideas on that?" the blonde asked back.  
"We need it to get it frozen in the air, then I'll be able to finish it off," Serah replied and shortly after yelled, "Chocolina!"

The brunette just winked with an understanding and with flapping of her wing arms she created a powerful tornado which lifted the Cie'th up.

"Emma, freeze it!" Serah commanded once again.

The blonde concentrated her magic and shot it at the enemy. While she wanted to simply make it immobile in the air, it literally froze and was now covered in ice.

Serah then jumped into the air, performing a high leap, and rushed with her blade arm extended to the full into the enemy.

"I free you!" she yelled and pierced the Cie'th right through it palm where the l'Cie brand was located.

The creature cried in anguish and dispersed in a large cloud of black mist which disappeared shortly after. Emma looked questioningly at Serah, the words she said when defeating the monstrosity. A faint light appeared short after and fled right into the pink-haired woman's chest, startling her. _That was weird_, she thought.

"You freed it from what? It was just a monster."  
"I told you yesterday, remember?" Serah reminded the blonde. "When a person fails their Focus they turn into Cie'th."

"But it's a monster then."  
"Actually, they're a mix of human and monster, but they act on the negative feelings that caused them to become Cie'th," Emma looked confused so Serah tried to explain it easier. "All they want is to be free of their form, but the grief, sadness, and anxiety take the better part of them and force them into mindless killers. Their only hope for atonement is death."  
"Which is what," Hook interrupted, heavily breathing, "you three just did," and he passed out.  
"Quick, you gotta help me drag him to the Merry Men's camp!" Emma requested from Serah and Chocolina, but the latter mysteriously vanquished.  
"She's gone, like that. But at least I know she's okay," Serah said hollowly and helped Emma carry the man.

Back at the Merry Men's camp they met Robin who was eating a dinner with Marian and their son.

"Where were you?" Emma asked with demand in her voice. "We were looking for you."  
"The search was prooving fruitless so after discussing it with Chocolina I went back to the camp," he replied.  
"Hook!" The pirate fainted. "Do you have any first aid kit?" Emma turned to Robin.  
"Just bring him to the tent where the other two men are," Marian replied. "I know a bit of this 'first aid' you're talking about."

Emma and Serah dragged Hook into the tent where Sazh and Dajh were sleeping and put him on the blanket that was placed on the ground. Marian opened his coat, but aside of few bruises there was nothing major. She resorted to putting a cold towel on his forehead as it burned with the heat of hundred suns.

"He appears to be well on the outside," Marian noted, "but you should bring a doctor to see if maybe there's something bad inside."

The blonde called to a hospital describing Hook's situation. Shortly after, she was informed that few paramedics were sent their way and she was asked to not move the pirate as to not damage his internal organs.

"Thanks for the rescue," she said softly and kissed Hook on the cheek.  
"That's just... what a real gentleman... would do," the man replied with a small smile on his face.  
"Don't strain yourself," she reprimanded him with her usual voice. "We don't know if it's something minor or not."  
"How are Sazh and Dajh doing?" Serah asked Marian and Robin.  
"No change," Robin replied plainly.  
"If Claire wasn't this crystal, she would know how to help them," Serah said silently. "Back in our older world she was saving lost souls from being abandoned."

She approached the sleeping boy and took his hand into her own.

"I hope you're having good dreams, Dajh," she said, hoping that the little boy could hear her. "Full of chocobos and happy moments with Sazh." She brought Dajh's hands closer to her chest. "Living without a soul must be a hard thing, huh? You can't feel anything..." she wondered and a small light flew out of her chest and started to dance around Dajh.  
"What's that?" Emma asked.  
"I think... it's... Dajh's soul!" Serah said and in that moment the light fled into Dajh's chest.

The boy started to slowly wake up. As his eyes opened, he noticed he was in an entirely different place than he remembered. There were people he didn't recognize at first, but then a pink-haired woman approached him.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, not believing what she was seeing.  
"Serah?" the boy replied. "Where am I? What's going on? Where's dad?"  
"I..." Serah faltered. She didn't know how to respond. "It's not... easy to say," she finally said after a moment of silence.

Then the blonde approached the boy and comforted him as best as she could.

"Everything's gonna be fine. We'll—_I_'ll—find a way to help your dad," she assured him.  
"Where is he?" the fear grew in boy's voice.  
"He's... over there..." Serah pointed a sleeping man on a bed behind Dajh.  
"Daddy?" the boy approached Sazh. "Daddy, wake up," he softly said. "Daddy?" he shook his father's body. "Wake up, dad..." the desperation in boy's voice grew with each word said.  
"I'm so sorry..." Serah mumbled and went silent.

As people left the tent, only Dajh and Serah remained, sitting next to Sazh's empty body. She didn't know what to say to the boy: he was just eight years old and was through so much that not a single child should be at his age. Dajh was sitting silently and soon after he fell asleep. Serah couldn't do much, or at least she believed she couldn't, and only lightly stroke his hair before she left.

* * *

**Valhalla. Beyond Space and Time**

Etro was sitting silently on the throne she recently inherited from a mysterious figure. Or did she inherit it eons ago? With lack of time in Valhalla it was hard to tell. The Goddess pondered about many things she was left with: loss of her Father, control over Chaos, preservation of peace. And this mysterious person who left her with that... Who was that?

Then the Gate above Valhalla opened and a single light came falling gently. Etro used her powers and created a projection of the person: it was a young woman, possibly not before eighteen, with hair blue like cornflowers. She landed on the beach where she stood still like a statue.

"This must be a soul awaiting for the return to the visible domain. The first soul to guide," Etro murmured. "I hope I can do it."

She then walked to the beach where the girl was waiting. When Etro arrived, the woman turned to her and revealed green eyes and a gentle smile across her face.

"My, you are a peculiar person," Etro noted, a small smile crossed her face as well. "Before I will send you to the Unseen Realm, I would like to know your name."  
"Yeul," the girl replied withour emotion in her voice.

There was something peculiar about this girl. Etro felt like she knew that particular person for quite a long time, but couldn't put a finger on it.

The Goddess than waved her hand and a reddish black glimmer separated from the light of the girl's projection and melted into the sea of Chaos. Etro conjured a new reddish black glimmer and placed it inside the girl's soul. She then created an arc adorned with gold outline and a blurry image of a flowery meadow inside it.

"You will now be born anew," she said pointing at the gate of sorts. "Go on, child," she gently rushed her.  
"Thank you, whoever you are," the girl kindly replied.  
"My name is Etro. I am the guardian of the dead, as you can see..."

The image of Yeul approached the gate and looked back at the goddess. Etro smiled encouragingly to give the girl a morale boost, a move which appeared to work since the girl turned to the gate once more. When Yeul touched the surface of the image with her hand, she was thrown away but was quickly caught by the Goddess's magic. The girl attempted few more entries but the result was all the same.

"I do not understand," Etro wondered. "Every soul should pass through Valhalla to the Visible Realm, but that dominion appears to not welcome you," she worried. "It appears as if the light of your soul is... too much."  
"What happens to me now?" Yeul pondered. "Will I stay here, by your side?"  
"I am afraid that it is not possible. Valhalla is a realm where no one but me can exist. Any more bodies is simply not needed."  
"So I will just... fade away? Like I never existed?"  
"No, child. You will return to the realm of the living. This is the only thing I can do for you."  
"But how?"  
"The Chaos will warp the Gate to the Visible Realm allowing you to pass it," Etro pointed at the green object, high above them, and conjured a winged beast, all in bandage and crown on its head. "Valefor here will take you to the Gate, but not further. His home is Valhalla."  
"Thank you, Goddess Etro," the girl said again.

Yeul sat down comfortably atop Valefor who took her to the gate with a rather scenic view: the girl could see the place in all its glory, with the grand palace in the middle, and dark waters surrounding the land. When they were near the Door, the girl touched the gate and disappeared in a green flash, yet a small light fell from Yeul as she passed the gate and landed in the sea of Chaos. Valefor returned to Etro, yearning for some affection which was returned: the Goddess stroke the creature gently on its head. Shortly after it disappeared in a burst of Chaos leaving Etro alone once again.

* * *

At the same time Yeul returned to her home, much to everyone's shock. She told them about the realm which served as a place from which people are reborn. As she was talking about the Goddess, who called herself Etro, the girl clouded the truth behind her return, fearing that a story of her not being able to enter the Visible Realm under normal circumstances would be taken wrongly and she was certain that every person was destined to come back in the way that she didn't return.

When her friends and family were celebrating her return with quite a large feast, Yeul entered some sort of trance as a mysterious symbol appeared in her eyes and a vision appeared within her mind. She saw countless of her images, each with a golden glow in her eyes, accompanied with images she couldn't understand, and each of her imitations dying after having their eyes shine too many times.

"Yeul, are you okay?" a younger girl, her sister, asked. "You suddenly went pale and your eyes were glowing gold."  
"I... I think I had a vision," she mumbled under her nose.  
"A vision?" a man asked, Yeul's father.  
"Would this be a gift of the Goddess?" a woman, her mother, wondered.  
"What was it?" her sister asked.  
"I saw my... death," she said hollowly. "These visions... they seem to be the future."  
"Yeul, everyone dies when they grow old," her father said.  
"I didn't die... of old," all of the people at the table turned their faces to Yeul. "I saw how this visions eat away my life. And if I see too much... I die."  
"That's nonsense," her mother dismissed the news with strange ease. "Just because you were in the realm of gods doesn't mean you suddenly acquire powers that can kill you just like that," and snapped her fingers.  
"I need to rest," Yeul said simply and marched off from the room, surprising everyone.  
"I suppose she needs it, after all that happened today," her mother noted and encouraged the rest of banqueters to finish their meals.

* * *

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

Robin vowed to look after Dajh, much to Marian's dismay, although Roland seemed quite happy to have a friend around his age he could play with. Serah still wasn't at her best to talk about Sazh, since she herself didn't know much. She felt like it was better to just not talk about it, although she knew that the talk would happen sooner or later. It was too much for her and she decided to face it later.

"Serah, you're okay?"

She heard a female voice. That's right: she and Emma were sitting at Granny's discussing today's events.

"Y-Ye— N-No—" Serah sighed. "I don't know. I'm happy that Sazh and Dajh are alright, and that Dajh is awake, but I don't know how to talk with him about his dad."  
"I kinda get what you mean," Emma said. "It wasn't until like... two years ago that I had no one, but then Henry came and I had... ten years of catching up with him."  
"Henry's your son?"  
"Yes, but it's a bit of a long story and I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about it with you."  
"That's understandable," Serah replied. "We barely know each other. Besides, I don't think that your family business is connected with me and my friends appearance here."

Then the door to the diner opened with a sound of ringing bell and a boy, not older than twelve came in. He was holding some video games in his hands and both had pictures of a woman with rose-colored hair on their covers.

"That's him, Henry," Emma told Serah pointing her the boy who just entered the café.  
"Hi mom, hi Serah," the boy smiled at the woman with pink hair.  
"I don't believe we met," Serah said.  
"You're right," he replied. "But these games gave me a pretty good insight on you and your friends."  
"These games... They have images of Claire on them."  
"That's right, they're your sister's pics," he said with a big grin.  
"Are you going with it somewhere are you just gonna mock her?" Emma asked. "Serah's not in the best condition right now, with all this weird stuff appearing here."  
"Apparently, Storybrooke is a place which doesn't bring only fairytales together," he said. "It seems that video games are brought here as well."  
"What are you talking about?" Serah asked in confusion. It was strange, and a bit infuriating to hear that she's a 'video game character'. "I'm here, aren't I?"  
"As I already told you Storybrooke is a cursed town where people from various children's stories ended up due to... Regina's thirst for vengeance," Emma explained. "But recently we got all kinds of curses coming one after another and bringing people which weren't originally here and they all wanted to gain something at the expense of this town, always harming its people."  
"Seems like you're victims of some kind of curse, but different from ours," Henry said. "It must be connected with one of the gods from your world."  
"But I have little memory about my world's gods," Serah said with sadness in her voice.  
"We'll just have to play them," he said pointing at the games. "I'm sure they're trigger something."  
"I hope you're right."  
"'Hope' is an important word here," the boy replied with a big grin earning a questioning look from Serah. "You'll see."  
"Where are you gonna play those games?" Emma asked.  
"In my room," Serah replied. "You have a proper console for them, right?"  
"Yeah, I'll just need to pick it from my room at my mom's house." He quickly corrected himself, "From my _other_'s mom house," and he rushed off leaving the two games on the table in front of Serah.  
"Let's call it a day," Emma suggested. "We need a break and besides you need to catch up with your memories."

Emma left leaving Serah alone at the table. Ruby soon came and gave her a cup of tea with a lemon and few sandwiches saying that she'll repay them later for those. Serah was starting to feel useless with all the kindness she got from the establishment's owner and her granddaughter and she didn't pay them even a single coin of whatever their currency was. She slowly ate what she was given and after finishing it she returned to her room with the video games in hands.

_Are the answers here?_, she wondered. _Why we are here? Are we once again just tools to be used in gods' games?_ Serah refused to believe that but after all the adventures she had she thought that they indeed have unfinished business with them.

With nothing else in mind, she decided to read the manuals for the games. She opened the page number eight of the game titled _Final Fantasy XIII_ and noticed Claire's image taking roughly a half of the page, on the other side she saw herself in her white sleeveless top and red skirt, and behind her was Snow sitting on the aerobike made from his Eidolon Shiva. The description on Claire wasn't very informative: all it said that her sister was a mystery woman known by her moniker 'Lightning' which she abandoned after setting in the new world.

She then continued to read other entries in the manual. After some time, Henry came with a console and set it next to the TV. Few moments later, they started the first game: _Final Fantasy XIII_. Serah was hopeful that she'd discover something that was lost to her and could be helpful in her quest for releasing her sister and finally getting the peace they all deserved.

* * *

Meanwhile close to the Vestige that appeared just day ago, a woman was sitting comfortably near the fire, eating some rabbit she hunted down and drinking water from the nearby stream. There was something sinister about her, like she was planning something horrifying, something that would cleanse everyone from their past and live in purity, no matter what the price was. This was something she failed long time ago, after the God-chosen savior turned against him and stripped her from the chance of beginning her life anew, with her sins erased.

Then she heard a rustle in nearby bushes and readied herself for a battle if such would come. A man appeared before her, wearing a suit and holding a cane in his hand. He looked at her with a mischievous smile and she replied with an ignoring look.

"I don't suppose you come from the Enchanted Forest, dearie," he said.  
"That's none of your business."  
"Trust me it is," and with a wave of a hand he took her voice away for a mere second.  
"Who are you?"  
"I could ask you the same," he replied and started to circle around the woman. "Since you are not from my realm."  
"Who I am or from where is not your concern, old man," she hissed. "Now why don't you leave before—"

The man raised his hand and the woman suddenly floated into the air and started to try releasing from a grip of an invisible hand that was simmering her. The man slightly loosened the grip allowing the woman to catch a breath.

"What are you?" she asked.  
"Someone you wish not to mess with," he replied. "Now if you'd kindly provide me with the answers I seek I'd be more than happy to release you."

She nodded and the man loosened the grip more.

"As you already know I'm not of this world, but a different one, a different plane of existence I could say."  
"And you plot for revenge, am I right?" he asked and the woman silently agreed. "But against whom? What kind of pain you suffered to come across me and ask for my help?" he evilly grinned.  
"I didn't ask for your help," she murmured.  
"But you will," he assured her. "Every dark deed that comes to this town is connected with me. And I know you'll ask for my help, sooner than you'd think. They all do."  
"Who are you?" she asked once again.  
"I don't think you're in a position to ask such a question, dearie," and he released her from the grip of an invisible hand. "If you ever need my help, and you _will_, just call my name: Rumplestiltskin," and he disappeared in a burst of purple mist.

_The power that this man wielded..._, the woman thought to herself. _It's something that the Almighty God of Light would wield. I will get this power and achieve my salvation._

The rest of the evening was quiet, although the woman was vigilant in case someone else with similar powers would appear. She then lied on the ground and waited for the sleep although it wasn't the reprieve she was fond of as the nightmares of her past still haunted her soul. The lost oblivion was her only hope for happiness.


	3. Episode 3: Lost Hope

**Episode 3. Lost Hope**

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

After spending three days crying over Marian's return, Regina finally calmed down, although the inner storm was far from over. She wanted to be with Robin and didn't want a repeat of Daniel, her first love, who was lost to her, thanks to Cora and Snow White. She decided to earn her happy ending, no matter how hard it would be. The source of her pain and solitude was the book that Mary Margaret gave to Henry when Storybrooke was under her curse. If she could find the author she could get her happiness.

Regina left her house and went to Granny's Diner where she hoped to meet with Henry who told her she would be staying a night there with a friend of his. Now that she recalled that brief conversation, she wondered who was that friend. Henry didn't have much friends at school, he was always a loner.

The door to the diner opened and Regina entered. Many heads briefly turned to her and when met with her icy gaze the looked away. She approached the counter where Granny was standing hoping to get information about her son.

"Good morning."  
"Good morning, Regina," Granny replied and wrinkled her forehead. "I didn't expect you here at this time of the day, not to mention your unusual costume."

The woman dropped her formal attire in favor of an everyday outfit: she was wearing simple silver pants, brown boots, and red shirt which still appeared to be formal-looking in some way.

"I'm sure you don't intend to chat with me about clothing like those women from the comedies on television," Regina snarked.  
"True," the woman responded. "I reckon you're not buying anything?"  
"Yes. Henry said he stayed here a night with a 'friend of his'. Was he here by any chance?"  
"Turn behind," Granny said pointing at the table in the corner where Henry and a pink-haired woman were sitting.  
"Thank you. Have a good day," she finished her conversation with the establishment's owner and went to the pointed table.

Henry and the woman were talking a lot, discussing a variety of topics, and Regina caught a few words: "l'Cie," "Focus," "Lightning," "Ragnarok." She didn't understand any of them.

"Hello, Henry," she greeted him.  
"Hi, mom," the boy replied and surprise appeared in his face. "How are you... dealing with things?"  
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that, but first... Who is this woman?" she looked at the girl. "I don't remember seeing anyone like her in the Enchanted Forest."  
The woman raise from her seat and extended her hand, "I'm Serah Farron." Hesitant, Regina shook hands with her. "And yes, I'm not from the Enchanted Forest."  
"Where do you come from, Miss Farron?"  
"I don't know how to explain it, but according to Henry the place where I come from is a video game. Sounds strange, doesn't it?"

Serah was starting to feel silly, telling everyone she's not from from the world they know. The status of a video game character also wasn't something nice for her. But she accepted the strangeness of her situation quite quickly since actually the fairy tales stories she heard while she was a child matched quite well to the memories of many inhabitants of Storybrooke.

"No, not at all," Regina slowly replied.  
"We'll meet later, Serah," Henry said his farewells and left.  
"Yes, see you soon," she responded. "And it was nice to meet you Miss..." Serah hesitated to finish as she didn't know the name of Henry's 'other mom'.  
"Regina Mills," the woman replied and after a short break added, "Welcome to Storybrooke, Miss Farron," and left.

"She's certainly something," Serah commented when Ruby came to give her a cup of tea.  
"You better be careful not to crawl under her skin," Ruby said. "She's a powerful witch."  
"I fought against a god. I think I can handle it," Serah smiled. 

Meanwhile at Merry Men's camp, Robin and Marian were not only taking care of their son, but of the boy who woke up yesterday, Dajh. The boys were talking about customs in their worlds and about various animals; Roland found tales about chocobos particularly interesting.

Just when they were about to clean up after the breakfast, a feathery woman appeared and greeted the group.

"Hello, Merry Men!" she said with her usual lively voice. "Or should I say, 'Kweh-ry Men!"  
"Your sense of humor is as awful as your attire, woman," Big John mumbled under his nose.  
"Nah, you just should vent off those gloomy thoughts of your mind!" she advised him and then turned to Dajh, "Hello, little guy! I heard you woke up last afternoon."  
"Hi, Chocolina..."

Despite being a bright, energetic, and optimistic child, Dajh was now a saddened and wasn't keen on playing. Sazh's mysterious slumber from which he couldn't be woken up was something that greatly impacted his son's behavior.

"You're taking such good care of Dajh, I must thank you on Sazh's behalf."  
"Have you had any luck finding his soul?" Marian asked. She felt like the whole world was against her, throwing logs under her legs to prevent her happiness with her husband.  
"Nope, sadly they're not growing on bushes," she replied chirpily and John wrinkled his forehead.

Soon after she said her farewells and went back to the search. Robin sighed deeply thinking about Sazh and Marian rolled her eyes.

"Mom, dad! Let's go to the town! I want to take Dajh on ice-cream!"  
"Roland, I don't—" Marian started but was interrupted by the boy in question:  
"Sure, I don't mind," he said with a rather absent voice.  
"It's still a bit too early for them, we'll eat them in the afternoon, but a small walk wouldn't hurt."

Robin smiled at Marian, as in pleading tone to stroll together like they used to in the past. The four then went to the town hoping that everything will get better. 

At the same time, Emma was sitting in the sheriff's office wondering how Serah and Henry's quest for the answers in video games was faring. There were also thoughts about who or what was capable to hijack a powerful time traveling portal that would be able to link it with its homeworld. There was this vestige from Serah's apparently destroyed old homeworld which housed a powerful being called fal'Cie. According to her it was able to grant a gift of magic for a human, but at the cost of their humanity at their struggle's end. Would it be a fal'Cie's doing?

Emma was starting to seriously consider going to the towering building to find her answers. However, what would the fal'Cie do to Emma since she was born with magic? Would it turn her into a l'Cie or straight into Cie'th? Maybe it would do something else entirely?

Then the door to the office opened and Serah appeared in the entrance. She seemed to be processing quite a lot of information which undoubtedly came from her video game research.

"Good morning, Emma," she greeted the blonde.  
"Hi, how was the game?"  
"We finished the fourth chapter of _Final Fantasy XIII_," the pink-haired woman replied. "Sure brought some memories of my journey with Noel."  
"Noel?" Emma asked remembering that just yesterday Serah said a similar word in her silent whispers during the search of Chocolina.  
"A good friend of mine and Claire's. But he's not in the first game," she responded. "We will need few more days, possibly three or so, to complete it and maybe find any answers. Thank goodness Henry was there because I can't really keep up with that battle system and he was very quick."  
"Serah, would it be alright if I went to check on that vestige from your old world?" Emma asked but somewhat suspected what the answer would be.  
"Emma, that place is nothing good. Besides, I don't think a fal'Cie would hold an answer for your question."  
"Why are you so adamant about your statement? Listen, if I soon don't figure out how you ended up here and possibly who or what else came, this town isn't safe and I want you all to come to your home."

Suddenly, screams appeared in the streets startling the women who quickly left the office. What Emma saw was like out of a science fiction movie: mechanical wolf-like creatures in silver and red colors and neon blue light at their heads and legs and tall machines somewhat resembling a bee and a human hybrid with large arms – left was shield-shaped while the right was knuckle-shaped – in silver, brown, and black colors attacking the citizens of Storybrooke.

"What are those!?" Emma asked when she and Serah hid behind a refuse bin.  
"PSICOM armaments?!" Serah replied with a surprise when the bulky machine just sent the bin flying and the women sought shelter behind a wooden fence.

"Where did they come from?"  
"I think they're from the Vestige."

Serah then took a yellow feather from her pocket and extended her right arm while holding the object tight. The feather shone in dim light and turned into the sword that Chocolina gave her just yesterday.

"Flashy," Emma noted and Serah looked at her with a frown on her face, "pun not intended," she added after realizing the reason why she gave her the look.  
"I'll draw their attention away from the town and you get help, grab whoever or whatever may help," Serah instructed.  
"What about you?"  
"I dealt with monsters worse than that, trust me. Just go!"

Emma evaded just in time a claw swing from a mechanical wolf which Serah swiftly stroke down with her sword. The pink-haired woman then ran to the center of the street and started to shout at monsters hoping to be their focus. That strategy didn't work very well as only a small group of automated enemies became interested in her.

Serah was surrounded by a pack of mechanical wolves which were ready to tear her apart. Then few behind her jumped at her and in the last moment she cut them in two, but was not quick enough to deal with the others that surrounded her and got her arm scratched. Nonetheless, she defeated them too and proceeded to the large robot which threatened a silver-haired woman. Just when the enemy was to kill his new victim with a powerful blow, Serah swiftly cut its arm off. The robot driven with rage drew his shield-like arm in front of him and charged at its opponent. Standing in front of an old ruined building, Serah evaded the its attack in a last moment and the wall was destroyed by the attack's impact and smashed the robot.

"Thank you!" the woman replied and ran off.  
"Take care!" Serah shouted after her and blocked a blow from another towering robot.

However, another robot appeared and with a swift swing sent Serah flying onto a building's wall on the opposite site of the street. She hadn't even fought for five minutes and she was already worn out. What's worse, her vision started to be blurry but she still decided to fight.

Suddenly fireballs started flying across the street destroying the mechanical wolves and robots. She squinted her eyes in hopes of seeing the person who just helped her of the tight spot but she quickly fainted.

"Really, Miss Swan," Regina pouted, "leave the town to you for a minute and some otherwordly abominations appear and I need to save you."

Emma just arrived after Serah dealt with few smaller monsters. She might be a savior with magic powers but she didn't really know how to utilize them well in combat like Regina could. Sure, she had few lesson with the 'Evil Queen' but mastering her gift was a slow process.

"Thanks, Regina—" the blonde started but was interrupted by the woman in question.  
"Don't expect I'll appear to help you whenever you need so," she coldly said. "It's about time you learned to use your magic _properly_," she accented the last word so strongly Emma felt a bit accused of being a child who can't do even a simple thing.  
"Sorry, but there were too many and Serah—"  
"That is enough!" Regina interrupted her again. She raised her hands and was enveloped in purple mist which after a few seconds disappeared along with her.  
"Serah, are you okay?" Emma approached the pink-haired woman and the only thing she got in response was mumbling. "No good, I'm calling to hospital." 

**New World. Year Unknown**

Five months flew by in a speed of light and Hope was working really hard on improving the welfare of humanity in this new world. He spent so much time doing it that his co-workers had to press him to go home and enjoy the time with his family. Nora and Bartholomew, his parents, were also worried about their son's devotion to his work and despite frequent conversations with his friends via phone and internet he still somewhat distanced himself from them.

The most worried were Claire and Vanille, the two women with whom he shared the closest bonds. Claire was a woman whose images where used by the god of the old world to break him and let him invade the man's body, just so he would be able to direct the creation of his own twisted world where everyone would have no ties with the past and blindly follow him. Vanille on the other hand was a girl who was mysteriously gifted with the ability to hear the voices of the dead carried through the Chaos and was intended to be used by the god's faithfuls to purge the humanity of the memories of the dead, all in the name of pure start.

These two women helped him grow into a man he was now: strong, independent, caring, considerate. He spent _centuries_ finding a way to bring them together along with other friends to whom the fates were cruel as well. At the time when Chaos flooded the world, Serah was lost to the tides of fate and swept away from the world of the living, all thanks to the terrible gift that was bestowed on her by the goddess Etro. Not only him, but also Noel and Snow, were depressed with Serah's death. They somehow pulled themselves together and started to cooperate as to make the Chaos-infested world a somewhat safe place for humanity. But Noel and Snow's sorrow grew with each passing day, quite possibly the Chaos was also to blame for it, and the three distanced themselves from each other, just like Hope was doing now.

"Hope," his mother called his name from behind the door, she didn't want to just barge in, it would be intrusion of her son's private space. "Your friends are worried about you. What's wrong?"  
"I-It's nothing," he waved his hand dismissing her words, not that her mother would see that behind closed door.  
"You're distancing yourself from them ever since we came to this world. Besides, you're acting like an adolescent youth with this silence emanating from you."  
"I'm twenty-eight, thank you very much," he replied bitterly.

Then the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Bartholomew shouted from first floor.

The door was unlocked and in its frame stood a tall, young man with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing casual clothes, although the large leather bracer on his left arm stood out.

"Ah! Thank you for answering on such a short notice," Bartholomew greeted the man.  
"How could I possibly avoid a chance to help a friend in need?" he replied with a smile on his face.  
"Where's your lady? I thought she'd come with you," Hope's father asked looking at the side and behind the man.  
"I'm here, Mr. Estheim, no need to worry," a slender young woman with long blue hair and green eyes appeared a moment later beside her partner with a tall and slender bag in her hand.  
"Just call me 'Bartholomew'," the man said. "We've been through this on the reunion party."  
"Honey, it's not mannerly to keep guests waiting at the doorstep, is it?" a silver-haired woman appeared beside her husband, startling him and the guests.  
"Yes, you're right. Come in," he waved his hand encouragingly.  
"Who's—?" Hope appeared on the staircase wondering who just appeared at their parents' house. "Noel!?"

The surprise on Hope's face was priceless. However, there was a slight hint of annoyance at their parents who undoubtedly invited him and Yeul over for the dinner as he presumed. Noel was much livelier character since he arrived to the new world, with Yeul in his arms. The young girl was cursed with the same gift as Serah, although her affliction originated many centuries before the pink-haired girl was born. She was reborn with the same image, ability to see the future, but inability to change it as it could damage the timeline beyond repair. And she died after seeing too many visions of tomorrows yet to be, countless times, in countless bodies, in countless embraces of her guardians. Now in this world she was free from that fate, allowed to grow like she was refused every time and lead a happy life with Noel.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Noel smiled at Hope.  
"Hello, Hope," Yeul greeted the man.  
"H-Hi guys," he mumbled, scratching his head. "Let's go the dining room, that's what my parents invited you two?"  
"Yes," the young woman replied with a gentle smile on her face. It somewhat reminded her of one of those smiles Vanille gifted him during their journey as l'Cie a thousand years ago.

Hope let Yeul and Noel first into the dining room, while his parents went to the kitchen to get the dishes ready. The former hunter of the old world and the seeress-no-more sat next to each other while Hope sat on the other side of the table. Noel eyed the silver-haired man, gently suggesting him to start the conversation of the actual reason he and Yeul came to visit. But Hope was just looking down at the table, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"How are the things at the research center?" Yeul asked. She also knew why she was there, she didn't have to ask Noel to fill her in, but wanted to start with something light. One could say that was one of the remnants of her now lost power of the seeress.  
"We are currently perfecting our GPS systems since the starting ones were not doing good job on positioning your location actually," there was glimmer in his eyes as he spoke. He was always passionate about helping others, Lightning and Vanille sure rubbed off on him. "Also, we are going to construct medical machines to help in operations since there are things in human body that a man is not able to operate without causing more damage than good."

Nora and Bartholomew entered the room with food: the woman was carrying a bowl of cucumber soup and her husband held mashed tomatos in one hand and mushroom sauce in the other. They put them on the table and Nora rushed quickly into kitchen only to be back a moment later carrying a jug of apple juice and a bowl of vegetable salad.

"That's quite a feat," Noel commented on the food. As a man who lived at the end of days seeing food which could feed more than three people, and was vegetables to add to that, was something he couldn't get quite accustomed in this new world.  
"Noel..." Yeul sighed. It was quite embarrassing to watch her partner's awes at the food.  
"Dig in," Nora encouraged deciding that the conversation between Hope and his friends should happen a bit later that afternoon.

They were finishing the second dish, but Hope seemingly wasn't interested in eating: he barely ate the soup and claimed not to be much hungry and only ate a small portion of potatoes with sauce.

"Are you in there, Hope?" Noel suddenly asked, Yeul, Nora, and Bartholomew looked at him confusingly. "You're acting like you're not yourself, as if you've given in."  
"Wha—" Hope wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but Noel swiftly interrupted him.  
"You're distancing yourself from not only your friends, but your _family_," accusation was dominating his voice. "Like you don't care what happens to them!"  
"There is no—" Yeul tried to calm Noel down, but once emotions and rage took over Noel he couldn't stop.  
"What good are you when you shut yourself from the outside world!?"

Nora and Bartholomew were angry and concerned at the same time. Noel was direct with their son and the expression on their son's face revealed the pain he was hiding all this time, but they knew if anyone could get to him would be Noel or someone else of Hope's friends. However, they chose to be silent, simply because they didn't really know what should they say. They let Noel do the talking, he actually seemed the best fit for that.

"Don't turn into the man swallowed with guilt," he said with surprisingly warm voice. "I've been there, Snow've been there, pretty much everyone was there, but we all got better. It's not good on your health, both physical and mental."  
"Vanille, Light, Fang, Serah..." Hope started to slowly count names. "I couldn't protect them... Light was always taken away from me to fight some divine battles... Fang and Vanille were trapped in the crystal for a _thousand_ years and I couldn't save... Serah... I..." tears were slowly starting to drop from Hope's eyes. He rarely got emotional, but crying was something very rare to occur to him.  
"It is connected with Bhunivelze, yes?" Yeul spoke.

Hope was crying. It appeared as he broke altogether and his emotions refused to be kept in check and just escaped his mind. He tried to say something but the words were lost in tears. It was truly embarrassing view.

"You're afraid of being torn away from us?" Noel asked and Hope slowly nodded.  
"I... I've been used... to have Light in check... so she'd do exactly as he desired..." he spoke slowly through tears. "And Vanille fared no better than me... also to be used..."  
"We were _all_ used," Noel corrected him. "We were all manipulated to the point we couldn't tell friend from foe."  
"Hope," Yeul turned to the silver-haired man, "I was in far worse fate back in the old world, but look at me now... There is no trace of the powers Etro gave to me eons ago. It is impossible for you to be a tool again as Bhunivelze rests within the Void, never the awaken again."  
"Yeul..." Noel said affectionately to the young woman.

Hope suddenly stood up, "I... need some fresh air."

He left the room and stepped outside the house. He felt like he needed the push and thought that Noel did this better than most of his friends since he understood the pain of loss of someone the best.

"Will he be all right?" Nora asked worriedly. She never saw Hope so broken like today.  
"It was pretty much the same with me and Lightning," Noel replied, still not used to saying her real name. "I was also in despair after loosing Yeul and Serah and as the years went by I grew desperate. Then was this prophecy of my happy ending with Yeul, provided I killed Lightning," Nora was frightened by those words and so was Bartholomew but he kept his emotions in check. "Luckily I didn't, but she forced me to smell reality."  
"But that's in the past," Yeul said cheerily.

Nora then stood up and was just about to leave the door, when her husband called her, "Nora, I don't think Hope needs a company at the moment." The woman protested but he continued, "Such things require time and clean conscience. It won't do much good to him now that we'll prey on him. At least he finally admitted to his fears and started to sort himself up."

Nora then returned to her place and the remaining people finished the meal. After that the women went to kitchen to wash the dishes, despite Nora saying that Yeul doesn't need to help her. The men just sat in silence in the dining room, staring blankly at the wall.

"Sorry about earlier," Noel suddenly said. "It's just that I hate people acting like they don't care about others."  
"You shouldn't be," Bartholomew replied, shocking the other man. "Sometimes a shock therapy is the only way to go."  
"I hope you're right..."

Noel looked down and left the room leaving Hope's father alone. Despite feeling like he helped a friend, he also felt guilty about his own words he directed at Hope. Maybe the feeling of guilt was his 'brand' of the previous life that he had to carry into this one as well. 

**Storybroke. Present Day**

Serah was sleeping in the bed in Storybrooke General Hospital. While the wounds were minor, the doctor didn't want to discharge her from the hospital yet as he wasn't sure if the machines carried any substance in their weapons which could worsen her health.

Emma looked at the woman from the otherworld and couldn't help but think how radically different their worlds were. Even despite all the magic she witness in Storybrooke and in the Enchanted Forest, the magic from Serah's world appeared to be different, sinister she would say. The Cie'th she encountered just yesterday were proof enough, but the mechanical enemies that threatened the town just hours ago were something that this world's military forces wouldn't even think of.

Despite Chocolina being somewhere around the town and Dajh quite possibly spending his time with his father or Robin Hood and his family, she decided to not inform either of Serah's condition. For one, she didn't have any idea on how to contact the ever elusive feathery woman, and for two, Dajh had enough worries on his shoulders due to Sazh's everlasting sleep state. So Emma took it upon herself to keep Serah company until the doctors say she's free to go. There was also a feeling of guilt eating her, leaving the woman to fend for herself, but more importantly she felt somewhat responsible for bringing her and her friends here. The only thing she could think now was how she could repay Serah for the pain she must have caused.

Then in the hallway she heard a male voice asking about Serah Farron. It was strange to hear someone asking about the otherwordly woman since she had no real friends here, at least no one with such authoritative, yet warm voice.

The door opened and a man with untidy silver hair wearing a formal suit entered. He seemed somehow relieved when he saw the woman in the bed.

"Serah!" he exclaimed, but she was sleeping soundly.  
"Who are you? And how you know her?" Emma asked suspiciously.  
"Ah, forgive me. Where are my manners?" the man remarked while scratching his head, embarrassed of his behavior. "My name's Hope. Hope Estheim," and he extended a hand in greeting gesture.  
"Emma Swan," the blond introduced herself to the man and shared a hand with him. "So onto my second question: how you know where?"  
"She's an old friend of mine," he replied.  
"When did you woke up?" Emma asked. Hope was startled by the question. "Serah told me about your homeworld."  
"Oh," Hope was actually quite surprised by her words. "Yesterday, in some office."  
"Was there anyone else with you?"  
"No. I was alone."

Then Serah started to slowly wake up. It was a bit too bright for her when she opened her eyes at once to see to whom Emma was talking but she had to cover her eyes with her arm. The sight of Hope few moments later were shocking for her.

"Hope!?"  
"You're alright there, Serah?" Hope asked worriedly. "There is no inner damage or bad substances in your organism?"  
"Just a few scratches, nothing that time can't heal," she replied. "Huh, Henry was right," Serah suddenly remarked her yesterday conversation with Emma's son.  
"Um... Excuse me?" Hope was confused with his friend's words.

Serah explained Hope the current situation, although there was little to report, but he listened carefully nonetheless. After finishing the explanations, Hope sank in a thought, only to be interrupted by Emma.

"Do you remember anything from your homeworld that would help us with the current situation?"  
"I have most of memories from the world before the new one and the one we came from," Hope remarked but his face was sad.  
"So do I," Serah said. "But I don't remember the circumstances of how we ended up here."  
"Me neither," the man replied.  
"Great, more people, but less answers," Emma was annoyed with the whole situation.  
"Don't worry, I'm good at looking for them," Hope said. "Might as well go with that Vestige, for starters."  
"Hope, please don't," Serah pleaded. "It might turn you into l'Cie and you know what happens to them."  
"If we don't take this chance, we might regret it forever."

The words that Hope had just said were nearly the same ones he heard from Vanille inside the Vestige. She encouraged him with those words when he was on a brink of loosing himself during their chase after Snow, Serah's fiance. He blamed him for his mother's early death after seeing her slipping from Snow's grip and falling into the abyss. Since then he was fueled by rage and the loss of the only person who showed him any affection. It was too much for him so he gave in to the despair and decided to end Snow's life, the price of sending his mother to an early grave.

"You won't go alone if you're planning it," Emma said. "I'll go with you."  
"I couldn't bare to loose you two," Serah's voice was filled with sadness. "I keep loosing my family all the time, it became a pain to live with a fate like."  
"I thought you were better than that," Hope said, a hint of accusation could be heard in his voice. "You always put your life on the line and now you're just turning tail?"  
"How could you ever understand my pain?"  
"I've been there too," Hope said. "I lost my mother, then Claire and Vanille and Fang. I was desperately trying to pull us together again so we'd be whole again. And then Chaos flooded the old world and everything went to hell."  
"I'm tired of these divine wars. I had my share in them, I want to let go of them."

Hope stood up and approached the door, "I'll go to the Vestige tomorrow morning."

"Where are you going _now_?" Emma asked.  
"Find myself a place to rest and eat."  
"I just know something meeting that description," Emma remarked. "We'll leave you now." She turned to Serah. "Call me if you need anything. And when they give an okay for you to leave the hospital, call me and I'll pick you up."

Serah was lying in silence, occupied by her own thoughts. When her guests left, she allowed herself to turn on a side and let her feelings take the better of her and soon she started to cry. While she was still willing to put her life on the line for her friends, she knew that their current predicament was some part of divine plan which she didn't intend to be a part of. Even if Claire wasn't a crystal as she was now, she still wouldn't dare to go to the Vestige in search of the answers it might hold. She was sure that Claire would actually go there herself, and even if she tried to talk her sister out, it'd be of no use. Once she set her target, she wouldn't back off from achieving it.

"Could you wait here a sec?" Emma asked Hope in the middle of a corridor. "I want to check on my friend."  
"Sure, but don't take too long or I'll go to that Granny's alone."

Then Emma went to the room where Hook was lying, or rather sitting at the moment. He attempted to stand up but was met with a pain in the chest.

"Hook, you shouldn't strain yourself so much," she reprimanded him.  
"Ah, nice to see you too, Swan," he greeted her with a dim smile. "And I heard that the monsters attacked again today."  
"This time it was a different type of enemy, not those Cie'th things," she replied. "Damn things are stronger than those creatures from yesterday."  
"How is your quest going? Any leads on who did it or how to get them back?"  
"No, people just keep popping like mushrooms after a rain."  
"And who is this time?" Hook seemed unmoved with the information about another new person in the town.  
"Hope, he's Serah friend from her homeworld."  
"And you're gonna babysit too?" Hook asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.  
"I'm _not_ babysitting them. Just guiding is all," she answered with her forehead wrinkled. "How long are they gonna keep you here?" she then quickly changed the topic.  
"Doctors say a few days. Apparently my chest bones took quite a hit and are a bit out of place and they need to watch over me for the time being so the bones will heal properly." Hook was saddened by his own words. He wanted to leave this place but the chest pains that occurred whenever he moved quite effectively disallowed him to do so.  
"I'm going now, don't overexert yourself while I'm gone."  
"Yes, mom," he replied as he saw Emma disappearing into the corridor. "You're too kind for your own good, Swan..." 

Emma walked Hope to Granny's Diner, not speaking a word. The man was also silent, theorizing on how they got to the town along with the Vestige, but more importantly on who did it and his or her motives were. He was also worried about Sazh and Claire after hearing the story from Serah. He wanted to check on them hoping to find some kind of resolution to their afflictions.

"Could you take me to Claire and Sazh?" Hope suddenly broke the silence.  
"Sure, but I don't think it'll change anything," Emma replied.  
"Even if they can't speak to me, at least I want to see them."

Then around the corner Dajh appeared, chatting with Roland, and behind them were the other boy's parents. Emma dazed off a bit after seeing Marian, the emotional damage she inflicted to Regina still lingering in her.

"Dajh?" Hope asked in disbelief.  
"Mr. Estheim!" the boy replied in surprise. "It's nice to see you!"  
"I'm glad to see you too. How are you?" Hope deliberately avoided asking him about Sazh since he knew how he was coping with that.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Hood are taking care of me for now," Dajh's face was painted with sadness. "Dad is in this weird sleep and can't be woken up."

The boy was in similar, if not the same, level of despair like Sazh was for nearly five hundred years after Dajh was dreaming, never to wake up. It pained Hope to see him like that and whatever he would say it wouldn't help the boy to ease his pain.

"H-How are you two doing?" Emma asked Robin and Marian.  
"Good, thank you," the man responded with a gentle smile on his face, although Marian seemed to be in doubt as her face wasn't as bright as her husband's.  
"I hope you're getting used to Storybrooke."  
"It does have a vibe of the Enchanted Forest," Marian said with a slight hint of coldness in her voice that her husband couldn't get but Emma caught easily.  
"Seems some things never change," Robin added.  
"Well, I gotta get going," Emma said wanting to end the conversation quickly. "Come on, Hope."  
"Emma is calling me. I'll see you later, okay?" Hope smiled at the boy, hoping to give him some morale boost. Dajh smiled faintly, making the man feel like he achieved a little victory.

They said they goodbyes and went on with their schedules. 

**New World. Year Unknown**

Noel and Yeul were getting ready to leave after the dinner at Estheims. Hope still hasn't returned from his walk on the fresh air and the former hunter was beginning to worry he overdid it. Nora appeared to share his view point as she was also worried about her son, but Bartholomew didn't consider Noel's actions harsh.

When Yeul and Noel were standing next to their car, saying their goodbyes with Nora and Bartholomew, the young man suddenly darted off to the garden. Hope's parents wanted to go after him, but Yeul stilled them.

"There is no need to follow him. Noel... he means well, but he's not very good with the words, yet he pushes himself to the limits, for others' sake."  
"I do hope he won't do anything harsh..." Nora wondered, not really sure about whom of the two men she was thinking at the moment.

After few moments Noel found Hope sitting under an apple tree, eating a fruit from it. When he noticed Noel, he was startled by him but said nothing. The brown-haired man quietly sat down under the same tree as Hope, back to back with him.

"I'm sorry... about before," he started.  
"N-No," Hope said. "It's me that should be apologizing, to _all_ of you. I cut off from you after we arrived here. Friends don't do such things."  
"It's fine. We all still harbor the darkness from the old world," Noel quietly replied. "It's just that we accepted our flaws, and you... well..."  
"Drowned in it," Hope finished his sentence.

These words stung Noel deeply. He was going to say something different, something that wouldn't hurt Hope further. But it were Hope's words that hurt Noel. He was that kind of man to not let others suffer and would gladly suffer for them. The memory of a friend from his home who went hunting one day and never returned simply due to an argument they had haunted his thoughts. They both saw how humanity crumbled at the end of days: Noel in his timeline and Hope during the long five centuries after Chaos flooded the world.

"But now we're here," Noel broke the silence. "No chains of fate or destiny, no more gods to mock us."  
"You're right."

Hope then crawled to Noel's front, confusing the man.

"Thank you... for making me understand your pain," and Hope threw his arms over his friend.  
"Hope, I'm—" But Hope didn't let him finish his sentence: "Don't go all mushy now," he said, a gentle smile appearing on the scientist's face.

They embraced themselves and tears started to flow on their cheeks. They felt real happiness, something that appeared to be out of their reach for hundreds of years, but there it was, all worries gone.

Few minutes later, Yeul, Nora, and Bartholomew arrived at the scene, only to see the two men sleeping while embracing themselves. The girl let a slight chuckle out and the man rolled his eyes in disbelief. Nora seemed to be happy about the situation: since they all reunited Hope hasn't slept so soundly like now, a look she marveled like a wonder.

"They look so peaceful," she commented.  
"This kind of behavior—" Bartholomew started but was interrupted mid-sentence by his wife:  
"—was something that he really needed. Is that what you wanted to say?" she said with a smile.

Bartholomew sighed. "At least they should sleep indoors."

"Let them rest a little longer," Yeul suggested. "They _both_ need it."  
"Aren't you bothered by it?" the man asked her.  
"No, not in the slightest. After all, we're all friends. There's nothing to worry about."

By the time it was evening, Noel and Yeul left Estheims. Noel was even more apologetic than before, but Nora thought nothing of that. Bartholomew was disconcerted by their previous 'mishap' even though nothing 'serious' happened.

Hope decided that it was time call one of his friends and apologize to her for his behavior. After all, he distanced himself at the beginning of their adventure from her more than from others. He could barely keep his emotions in check: while he was very nervous and couldn't know how the conversation would go, he still knew that her easy-going demeanor would make him feel better.

"Yes?" a high-pitched voice on the other side of the phone answered his call.  
"H-Hi, V-Vanille," he mumbled into the phone. The nervousness got the better of him.  
"Hope!?" the girl was surprised to hear him, but also excited. "I'm so happy to hear you!"  
"Um... Me too."  
"You sound more restrained than usual," she noted. "Is everything all right?"

This was it: he would finally apologize for his behavior. And all those years they couldn't be together.

"I'm sorry, Vanille, for everything," he said slowly.  
"I— I don't understand."  
"I'm sorry... for all those years we were apart... and we couldn't talk or laugh... and for my shutdown from you after we arrived here..." Vanille could hear tears through the phone.  
"It's all right, Hope," she whispered. "I understand you, you don't even know how much," and she also started to cry.  
"Vanille..." the man muttered under his nose.  
"W-What is it?"  
"Will you... ever forgive me?" he asked after few moments, uncertain of what answer he'll get, but he finally allowed his feelings took the better of him.  
"Of course, silly!" Vanille replied with unhidden happiness. "That was the weirdest question you could have asked me. We're family, we're together, whether you like it or not."

Hope could imagine Vanille's smile. She always wore it no matter how grim or light-hearted their situation was. She was the group's symbol of optimism and unwavering conviction.

"Family, huh?" he whispered to himself.  
"Let's meet!" Vanille suddenly suggested. "You, me, Fang, and everyone! But now we'll _all_ be ourselves!"  
"For real now."

Hope started to finally feel whole again, the darkness which once inhabited his heart slowly fading away. The walls he was building around himself all these months were dispersing. The joy and happiness were slowly making their home in his heart, thanks to the efforts his friends made to reach him and free him from his torment.

They cried on the line for few minutes, but finally said their goodbyes and agreed on the place and time of their reunion. They both could hardly contain themselves: the joy was simply overwhelming. 

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

"You still wanna see Claire?" Emma asked Hope, somehow emptily.  
"She's very close to me," he simply replied. "I don't care if she's crystal, just knowing she's okay is enough."

Emma led the man to the construction site. Along the way, few women, young and old, were staring at Hope who seemingly didn't notice such terrible behavior or simply chose to ignore it. After all, he wasn't into love advances made towards him, no matter how obvious they were. He was a man of labor, not romance. And yet, there was someone close to his heart, closer that his parents.

Few moments later they arrived at the construction site. Claire was still there, in the form of icy blue crystal like she appeared a few days ago. Hope started to run, and Emma was about to stop him, when he was just blown away from the sculpture.

"What the—?" the man was confused to say the least.  
"Me and Mother Superior put a spell on her so the people of Storybrooke wouldn't do anything harsh," Emma explained. "I should tell you earlier, sorry."

Hope shook his head.

"It's fine. You really care about others," he noted.  
"Yeah," she nodded. "I think that savior stuff is rubbing off on me."  
"'Savior'?" Hope asked, he never thought he'd hear that word again, not from a woman from some other world too.  
"This world's concept of savior differs from the one from your world," Emma quickly explained. "I had this conversation with Serah, and I can assure you I don't save souls from their despair. I just try to give happy endings to everyone."  
"You really sure it's not that different?" Hope giggled.

Emma was confused. To save souls without hope for a better tomorrow is different from giving people happy endings. Her was simply a matter of words, at least she thought it was. Sure, from what she heard from Serah, she came to conclusion that her powers are on the similar level to that of Claire during her time as the savior, but that still wasn't enough to call their missions similar.

"Let's go to Granny's," Hope said. "I need to rest and tomorrow it's research time." 

Regina and Henry were sitting on the coach in the sitting room of the mayor's house. They were having and oddly light chat. Henry decided not to inquire about Robin seeing as his mother still wasn't over the sudden appearance of Marian.

But there was something that intrigued him: his mother was talking about comics he had. That wasn't something that she'd talk about normally as she had different priorities, or at least Henry thought so. He finally decided to ask her straight.

"Mom, you didn't pay attention to those comics before. Why are you suddenly interested in them?"

Regina just put on a fake gentle smile.

"I just want to understand you better," she replied. "You was with me all these years and yet there's so much I don't know about you, like this comic for example," and she pointed on the cover of one of the unopened comics, a man in a full blue and red suit was depicted on it.  
"Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't notice things. What is it, really?" Henry was quite straightforward and wanted for his mother to finally reveal her intentions to him.

Regina sighed and then looked straight into Henry's eyes.

"I need help with _my_ story," she spoke. "This book" and she took a book titled _Once Upon a Time_ from beside her "has me depicted as a terrible and ruthless... villain," the last word was hard for her to say. "No matter what I do, my happiness is taken from me all the time."  
"And you want me to help you find the storybook's author, I'm right?" Henry asked, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Sure."

Regina's face lightened up. She was certain that Henry wouldn't agree with her.

"You mean you don't know the author?"  
"His name wasn't mention anywhere in the book."  
"His or her," Regina corrected. "We don't even know if it's a person actually. It might be some kind of... fate's embodiment even."

Regina wasn't certain of anything now. What if her suspicions where true about that fate matter? She couldn't possibly alter it. Or maybe she could, by cutting her fate's ties. But this was only one of many options. It could be a person as well. If that would be so, that this individual had to be much stronger than even Rumplestiltskin himself.

"Let's make that search our secret mission!" Henry suggested.  
"Like that 'Operation Viper' you had with Emma?"  
"'Operation Cobra'," Henry corrected. "How do you wanna call it?"  
"How about 'Operation... Mongoose'?"  
"Works for me!"  
"So what is out starting point?" Regina asked. "There are no much clues about the book's author aside of the book itself."  
"Since it's obvious magic is involved we should start with it," Henry suggested.  
"And how do you propose we do that?"  
"We'll start with my grandpa."

Regina looked with confusion at Henry. Clearly, Prince Charming wouldn't be helpful in that matter. Besides, his magic was of a different type than the one that was source of her unending struggles.

"Not from my mom's side, from my dad's side, Mr. Gold," Henry explained. "But we'll have to do it incognito so he won't notice."  
"I could take him head on," Regina spoke with certainty in her voice. Surely, her powers on nearly the same level as his since he was her teacher.  
"That won't be necessary," Henry cooled her down. "Besides, I don't think he knows that person at all."  
"Then why are you thinking of trying him?"  
"His shop is fulled of various artefacts. I'm sure that one of them will be a clue to the identity of the book's author."  
"You don't expect me to just 'snoop some things away' from him?"  
"That is why _I_ will go undercover," Henry continued. "I'll ask him for a job and if he'll agree I'll be able to 'snoop around'."  
"Are you sure you'll be safe that way?"  
"I know he's dangerous, but I'll be okay."

Regina couldn't shake a feeling that something was just set in motion. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but something that would impact her life.


	4. Episode 4: The Stage is Set

**(Published on: March 15th, 2015)**

* * *

**Episode 4. The Stage is Set**

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

A thick layer of gray fog covered Storybrooke, as if to foreshadow something sinister. There was also some chill in the air, all these things not really connected with the currently warm season.

Hope was already up. He wasn't exactly the type of person to waste time on anything, even if it was leisure. He always tried to learn new things; a day with nothing new learnt was something he considered a loss of sorts. But now in this mysterious place he hoped to learn anything about the circumstances of their arrival to Storybrooke. From what he learned from Emma and Serah, they came via a time portal which was hijacked by a powerful force. Hope wondered what it could be. Would the god which they banished into eternal slumber awoke and used all his power to execute his revenge on them? He came to expect even the most unexpected things from the gods of his old world. But a power to manipulate otherworldly portals? That surely had to be even beyond the god of light.

Meanwhile Emma was getting ready for the walk in the Vestige. Sure, there were some quite dangerous monsters in the town since Serah came, but she had to get answers. And how else she could get any if she didn't went straight on to the enemy's lair and demanding some answers? Her magic wasn't quite strong, but she had a few sword-fencing lessons with her father, Prince Charming knows in Storybrooke as David Nolan, so if there would be combat she already knew how to fight. She wasn't going to go there alone; Hope also intended to go there.

Like he agreed with Emma, Hope was waiting for her in the diner. He was eating a sandwich, considering a variety of things that could meet them inside the Vestige. His worst fear was finding it completely empty and not a single clue on their current predicament.

Then Emma approached him, he didn't even notice her coming into the establishment.

"Hello, Emma," he greeted her rather absentmindedly.  
"Hi, Hope." She couldn't help it but notice his sad face, "Gloomy thoughts already?"  
"It's just a name. It doesn't define me," he responded. There was a note of anger in his vocie.  
"I didn't mean that," Emma apologized. "It's just that there are so many bad things happening here one after another that just giving in seems the best choice. But it isn't."  
Hope smiled weakly, "You know, you kinda sound like her."

The woman was confused by his words but the man just waved it off.

"Finish the food and then we'll go," Emma commanded noting how many sandwhiches were still on Hope's plate.  
"I'm already full."  
"Look at that plate, you barely touched anything. Going there on half-empty stomach won't do you any good."  
"I'm a grown man, you don't need to baby me," he mumbled.

Then they left the diner and followed the main road to the Vestige which stood in the forest on the edge of town. They didn't know what to expect there: a friend, a foe, or something else.

* * *

At the same time Serah was waking up in the hospital. She trembled a bit. Despite her first two nights at Storybrooke being peaceful, the third one brought a bad dream which was slowly fading away from her memory.

After a breakfast, she went on a stroll across the hospital. She needed to clear her thoughts. When she was passing by some door, she heard a familiar voice, or rather a moan. She peeked and saw Hook struggling with sitting. She knocked the door announcing her appearance and entered the room.

"Well, hello there, love," Hook greeted her.  
"I see you're not doing well."  
"You don't look well either," he noted. "Is it about that fellow Hope?"  
"How do you—?"  
"Emma visited me yesterday and told me a story about a man who appeared out of nowhere, sickly worried about you."  
"Yes. They plan on visiting the Vestige," Serah's voice was trembling. "I fear that something terrible may happen."  
"Trust me, it won't be anything out of the ordinary here. Emma will beat anything that is thrown at her," he winked.  
"That's what worries me as well. I barely know you all, but Emma is so similar to Claire in so many ways it's scaring me, to be honest."

Serah sat down on a chair next to Hook's bed. She then stared blankly at space forgetting about the world around her. It was a somewhat nice experience.

"You alright there?"  
"Y-Yes," she replied, her expression slightly softening.  
"You're hiding something."  
"No! Why would I do such a thing?"  
"Maybe you want to protect someone, or save yourself," the man pondered. "I can definitely tell that you're not revealing something."  
"I have no memories regarding how I got here," Serah stood up. "Do _not_ accuse me of such things as secrecy!"

After this outburst, Serah left him. Hook was rather perplexed about himself: he pushed the wrong button and got Serah mad. Hopefully, it was only temporary. Yet the thought of something hidden within Serah's mind was frightening to him, as much as he was afraid to admit it. Whoever or whatever caused it, must have been very angry at Serah and her friends for one reason or another. Now he just had to wait, he saw no other option.

* * *

"Rumple?" Belle just woke up and noticed her husband's absence. "Not exactly a perfect way to start a honeymoon," she mumbled.

She sat on the bed and looked around. She decided to go with a white and blue getup, her favorite mix. As she was putting on clothes, she heard noise coming from the kitchen.

"Rumple, is that you?" the woman called out.  
"You're awake?" the answer came, voice clearly belonging to Gold. "I hoped to surprise you with a breakfast to bed."  
"That's sweet of you."  
"Anything for the lovely wife of mine."

Belle entered the kitchen and saw Gold cooking scrambled eggs with bacon. The woman approached her husband who was still in a dressing-gown and kissed him on a cheek. The man just chuckled. Then Belle opened the cupboard and took out two glasses and poured some juice into them. She next put a basket with bread slices and utensils on the table next to the two plates that were already there.

"You don't have to do that," Gold said.  
"I just want to help," she replied with a smile and patted him on the head.  
"It's nearly finished."

Few more moments passed and the man finished the cooking and put the frying pan on a metal holder. Next he opened one of the drawers under the kitchen and took out a large, nearly flat spoon and started to put some scrambled eggs on Belle's plate. He then put some on his, leaving some more: it would be eaten later.

At first they ate the breakfast silently, but then they started to talk about light topics, like weather. After some time, the conversation shifted to travel and Gold's wish to show Belle the world.

"Journey sounds wonderful, Rumple. That would be something relaxing in comparison to what we had for the past thirty years or so," Belle day-dreamed.  
"We could plan the trip if you wish. Besides, we'd need to prepare for the log road if we should decide on the journey."  
"Maybe you have anything you want to show me? You did leave the town."  
"That was just a trip to find someone I lost."  
"I didn't mean to—," Belle started but was interrupted by Gold:  
"Don't worry about that," he put a hand on hers. "We should celebrate this wonderful state in which Storybrooke is in," he quickly changed the topic. "What about a stroll in the park later today?"

Belle simply nodded and both of them finished the meal. Later, the man cleaned up and washed the dishes leaving his wife to her own devices.

"I need to run some chores in the town," Gold appeared in the library of the mansion they were spending their honeymoon at. "I'll be back later."  
"You don't need any help?" Belle asked.  
"This is nothing that requires your attention."

With these words, the man changed his outfit and left the mansion. The woman returned to her lecture, a large book which was titled _The Ice Queen_.

* * *

Emma and Hope arrived at the entrance of the Vestige and examined it. It appeared to be a large gate in a circular shape, adorned with blue and green neon lines. There was also an emblem on each side of the door, top and bottom of each symbol sported arrows with an empty circle in the middle.

"How do we open it?" the woman asked.  
"If fal'Cie is inside the door would open so it could brand new l'Cie," Hope said. "But it's just a theory."  
"Maybe it'll react to my powers? I'm a savior and all," Emma suggested.  
"How are you planning to do it?"  
"Cover your ears."  
"Excuse me?" the man looked at her sceptically.  
"My powers are not very stable and I'm not good at controlling them."  
"I had worse," Hope smirked, but he quickly changed his expression to a more frightened one as a sphere of white energy flew at random emitting a strange noise.  
"S-Sorry, I snapped. I'm not used to this," she said apologetically.

Hope quickly backed off facing away from her and covered his ears. Emma approached the door and put her hand on it. She was actually wondering why she asked the man to cover his ears. It wasn't like she had anything to hide from him. She was just full of fear and didn't want him to see her when she's in a 'bad shape'. She had to be strong, after all she was a savior, a person who always wins. Now she was to open the door to a structure from a world she never been to.

"This is my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't go check the portal this would never happen." Emma then gently put her hand on the door. "Let me fix my mistake. Please."

There was no response. Emma was about to turn around when the door loudly opened, loudly enough to get Hope's attention.

"How did you open it? And I didn't see any magic involved."  
"That's not important," she silently replied. "Let's go see what's inside."

They entered the structure. While for Hope it was nothing new since he was here in the past, but for Emma it was something out of a science fiction movie mixed a bit with medieval architecture. She took a few steps, but was quickly stopped by the man.

"What if there's an enemy here?" he asked her.  
"I don't see anything dangerous."  
"It might be a trap."  
"I know this thing was brought here by this time portal, or at least I think so, but I don't think it brought anything other inside it," she replied.  
"We need to be careful. There's no telling if a Cie'th or a PSICOM armament will attack us."  
"Alright, let it be your way."

Then they continued their trek. As they walked they slowly climbed a variety of staircases, but there was no sight of enemy. While that seemed to be a pleasant surprise for Emma, Hope was suspicious of the lack of attack.

After like an hour they arrived at a large room with misplaced staircases on various levels.

"There should a mechanism to change the position of the stairs," Hope informed Emma. "I'll check this way and you go the other way."

They went separate ways. Emma arrived at a green pillar which resembled the Vestige in shape. There were few buttons, all green, and the woman had no idea which she should press. After a moment she pressed the center button and few staircases came down, revealing a floating platform high in the distance. She tried to press other buttons, but the pillar appeared to turn itself off. She sighed slightly disappointed.

Suddenly the stairs moved again and created a path to a higher floor. As she went its direction she was reunited with Hope.

"Good work, Emma. You see this floating platform there?" he pointed at the object in the distance. "This'll take us to the fal'Cie's throne. But first we need to bring it down."  
"Platform? I could certainly use a lift. This place is taller than your usual skyscrapper," she commented.  
"Just what you could expect from a fal'Cie."

After they climbed the stair the noticed a large plaza-like area with a green pillar in its middle. When they took a step, they activated a hidden mechanism and large walls appeared forming a labyrinth.

"Not exactly a welcoming committee," Emma said.  
"I'd prefer a fight actually," Hope commented irritated.  
"I'll try to use magic to navigate us to the switch?"  
"You can do that?"  
"I'll have to try."

Emma assumed a somewhat combat ready pose, her hands stretched in front of her. She closed her eyes and appeared to be very focused. Hope thought that the magic here must be different from the one where he comes from. Then a glimmer of light appeared, taking a form of a small crystal. It slowly started to float into the maze.

"You did it. Let's go," Hope snapped her out of her trance.

Then the two followed the glimmering crystal straight to the pillar. There was only a single green button in a shape of an eye. Hope pressed it and the walls and the platform lowered.

They approached the platform and stepped on it, it automatically starting itself.

"That's it," Hope said. "Hopefully, we'll get some answers."  
"It's a bit... disappointing," Emma commented. "Doors opening without any special tricks, no freaking monsters from another world, puzzles like in a basic video game, it doesn't add up."

Hope simply kept silent, not wishing to further dig with Emma's concern. Jinxing it wouldn't do any good. It wouldn't bring them closer to truth.

* * *

**New World. Year Unknown**

A woman with short, silver hair, wearing red and gold outfit was anxiously waiting at a café. Her meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago, but her associate was getting late. Just when she was to ask for the receipt, another woman approached her table; she had long blonde hair, wore glasses and a long green coat.

"My apologies," she said. "It was a bit difficult to get here without being followed." She then sat down opposite of her and continued, "After all, it would interfere with our plans, don't you think?" A mischievous smirk crossed her face.  
"Yes, Colonel Nabaat," the other woman replied, content with her associate's appearance.  
"I would prefer if you wouldn't address me by my real name as this would give us away. I'll go by..." she thought for a minute and came with a name, "'Ingrid Vali'. Simply call me 'Ingrid', but do so in public places only."  
"Yes... Ingrid."  
"Since we have my identity kept secret now, we can proceed to actual execution of the plan. So how is the savior's sister doing?"  
"Oh, she's just alright," the silver-haired woman responded. "She's a history teacher at the local primary school leading a perfectly normal life."  
"And what about her fiance and the savior herself?"  
"Villiers is a guardian at a common and the savior is running a florist store. They lead their perfect lives in bliss."  
"We should plant a seed of doubt with the current flow of events," Jihl suggested. "I will need you to 'present' _this_ to the savior's sister in a way you won't be suspected, Frigge." The woman handed a small, silver pedestal with a green, ball-like object atop it. "The recording in the oracle drive will cause such a disturbance within her heart it would quite certainly break her."  
"How did you acquire such a thing? This _is_ a new world, a fresh start." The woman now named Frigge lowered her head and silently whispered, "But not for me, Baldur."  
"It appears that some kind of anomaly brought it to this world, anomaly which seems to wish to see our plan to succeed."

The rest of the afternoon between the two women was spent on dinner and further planning. At the end, each paid for her own meal and parted ways.

* * *

The next day when Villiers' house was empty Frigge decided to put her and Nabaat's plan to motion. When Claire, Serah, and Snow went to work, she lock-picked the backdoor and silently entered the kitchen. She was a bit surprised to see that plates and cutlery were already washed up; usually people left that as an after-work duty. Frigge then shook her head and continued to the hallway and climbed the stairs to search for Serah's room.

The first room on her left had photos of Claire and Serah on a shelf opposite of the door and a large mannequin with a simple, purple dress on it. _This appears to be the savior's room_, Frigge thought. She left the room and continued. The next room she decided to check was behind the second door on the right. When she entered it, she noticed a large room with quite notable space division: one part was quite messy, while the other was clean. A large photo of Snow and Serah was hanging on the wall opposite of the window and a foldable knife was sitting on a nightstand. _Room of the savior's sister no doubt_, Frigge wondered. _Let's put this oracle drive here. _She left the object next to the knife and left the house, cautious to close the bedroom doors and lock the backdoor behind her.

* * *

In the meantime, Jihl was fulfilling her part of the plan: she was acquiring a special coffer, an item of awesome power which could remove a person's soul. She planned to use this on a person from her past, a man who robbed her of everything she acquired through her hard work. Yet the man was only an 'appetizer' for her plot, her true nemesis was someone of a much greater power.

The coffer was in the possession of a young girl named Lumina. Her resemblance to Serah Farron was intriguing for Jihl, although she gave the girl little thought. Now they were to meet in a forest cabin, a place that Lumina picked up. Jihl was surprised by her choice but she complied: after all, such powerful object is not easy to find and sometimes playing with the 'merchant's' rules may be a quicker option. She heard stories about a girl named Lumina from the old world and as much as she enjoyed being the leader of situation, but the tales were disturbing ones to say the least.

"Hi there," a young female voice appeared behind Jihl. "I see you're up to the offer!" she said chirpily.  
"You must be Lumina," Jihl noted. "I am Ingri—"  
"No need to play games with me, Colonel," Lumina chirped and approached the woman in a dancing fashion. "_I _am the one who is having the fun here, you know?" she turned around, throwing her hands up, and putting them behind herself.  
"Let's get down to business, shall we?"  
"Yep."

Lumina then formed a bowl with her hands and in black mist an object appeared hovering above her palms. It was a rectangular box in white and black square pattern with a bright blue heart on the cover.

"This is the coffer I presume?" Jihl asked curious taking the object into her own hands.  
"What did you expect I would give you? A cookie box?" Lumina chuckled. Jihl didn't responded. "You should know, whatever you're planning you'll regret it later. You sure you wanna put Sazh's through so much suffering?" she asked with concern, earning a brief look of shock from Jihl. "I saw him in the old world at the end of days and he was _such_ a miserable guy it even broke _my_ heart sometimes."  
"My plans are of no concern to you." Jihl fixed her glasses, "This is strictly business we're doing here, girl."  
"But it's still fun!" Lumina chirped and disappeared in white light.

Jihl simply sighed in annoyance and left the meeting place, the coffer in hand.

"It is time for 'Operation: Renascence'. There will be no more interference from fal'Cie and their tools."

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

Emma and Hope were riding the large platform to the top. It was taking it a bit and the two were growing frustrated with the wait. Few more moments and the platform stopped before a large platform with large stairs leading to a large door.

Emma was about to step on the stairs when she was stopped by Hope.

"I'll go."  
"Are you always this stubborn?" Emma asked. "We are not in your world, things work differently here. I should go."  
"It might be a trap. We can't risk this world's savior to die," Hope argued. "If the savior dies, there'll be no more future."  
"This savior stuff is getting in your head. You should relax a bit."  
"I guess it's a remnant of my past back from the old world," the man turned away from the woman. "Back then I was 'tasked' with helping Claire, who was the savior at the time, in her mission."  
"Let it go."  
"Sorry?" Hope was confused by her words.  
"Let it go," Emma repeated. "Clinging to the past won't help you—actually it'll make it hurt more."  
"But—"  
"No, I don't ask you to forget!" the woman quickly corrected herself. "Reminiscing about it all the time will turn against you sooner or later. Plus, I wouldn't like to deal with Serah if she saw you so broken after you accompanied me."  
"Oh, you wouldn't," Hope laughed it off. "She can turn into an angry ogre in nearly an instant."  
"Harsh."  
"It's just how she is."

Emma sighed, then her eyes focused on a random point, earning a questioning look from Hope. There was an idea in her head which could just work for the two of them.

"Let's go together if either of us won't let the other go alone," she suggested.  
"Fine by me."

The climbed the stairs and approached the door. Emma sighed once more, this time in preparation and nervousness as she didn't know what she should expect. Hope was thoughtfully looking at her, suspecting what thoughts were occupying her mind.

* * *

At the same time, Mr. Gold was at his pawnshop, looking for an object from other otherworld. The appearance of the woman he encountered the other night caused some part of his memory to unlock. He was searching for the object in the main part of his shop, browsing through the collection of emblems. Soon he found the item in question: a crest in a form of an edged gold heart with pikes protruding from its bottom.

"So it's true," he mumbled. "The 'god of light' is approaching just like that person told me. Just what was the deal with them?" he wondered.

His memories of Rumplestiltskin days where clear aside of the one regarding a person he met when he started to plan a way to cast the dark curse. The thing he could currently recall regarded a 'savior' and a 'god of light', although he couldn't recall the details regarding that deal.

He stared at the crest for a bit, then hid it under his coat, and left his shop, locking it. Just as he walked to his home, he noticed what Emma informed him about a few days ago: a woman encased in crystal in an abandoned construction site.

He cautiously approached it and the closer he got the stronger effects of magic he felt.

"The barrier spell. An... interesting move, Miss Swan," he commented under his breath. Then his attention turned to the crystal, "Who are you?"

Few moments passed and Gold continued his trip to home to hide the crest from Belle: there was no need for her to know about an otherworldly deal he made in the past. His own happiness took priority: he might have lost Baelfire, but he still had Belle at his side. This was a comforting knowledge for him, that he was accepted and loved despite all the terrible things he had done in the past.

After he hid the crest in a safe, he returned to the mansion where he left Belle before and together went on a stroll.

* * *

Emma and Hope approached the door which promptly opened and revealed a tall, long corridor. They slowly proceeded and after few moments entered a large, half-circular room. However, something was off.

"There's no fal'Cie here," Hope stated in a surprise. "There should be a small mechanical chamber there which should open with our presence here."  
"Weird," Emma commented. "I expected something dangerous here, yet all we got was some puzzles."  
"Something is wrong. I thought that with the use of a Time Gate the Vestige would fully return to its state from before crystallizing at the bottom of Lake Bresha."  
"There might still be something here which may tell us what brought you here. Let's look around."

Hope nodded and together with Emma started to look around the room. Everything was like Hope remembered from his only visit here, except the fal'Cie Anima was not here. The only difference he noticed was presence of an unknown symbol: it resembled overlapping open hands somewhat resembling wings at sides of an ellipsoidal shape with an eye inside it. During his time as a l'Cie, then a Director of Academy, and finally the god's tool, he saw brands and emblems of the gods of his world, yet none like this. The man also wondered if he saw it in the new world, but this memory was locked away from him. He then decided ask his companion about it.

"Emma, have you seen this emblem before?"

The man pointed her the symbol in question on the wall. She shook her head in denial: another dead end.

"There's nothing interesting here," Emma finally said after a moment of silence. "Let's go back to the town."  
"Not until we find any answers," Hope countered.  
"Hope, relax. I know it's hard to live under the pressure that there's always something waiting around the corner to take away your happiness, but you take it too seriously."  
"I can't," the man said sadly. "I have this feeling that something bad is about to happen if we don't resolve this mystery on time."  
"Look," the blonde put a hand on Hope's shoulder and smiled. "I'm also worried, but I can't allow myself to be plagued to the death by it. A lot of people depend on me," and she added under her breath, "including Regina."

Hope sighed in defeat. As much as he would like to continue his search, there was no arguing about searching somewhere where there were no clues, aside of the mysterious emblem. Then Emma commanded him to leave the place with her despite being somewhat reluctant about it.

Just when they were about to leave the door didn't open. Not even Emma's magic could help force it. The two were confused: was there someone or something truly in here? If so, they were annoying.

"Welcome, savior," a deep female voice suddenly echoed through the chamber startling the two. "And welcome to your guide as well."  
"Show yourself!" Emma commanded.  
"Why so hostile, savior? Do you not trust me?"

Then a woman with a white mask and red and gold robes appeared in a cloud of black smoke. Her arms were wide open, as if to encourage the two to embrace her.

"Dark magic!?" Emma exclaimed.  
"Chaos!?" Hope wondered.  
"Neither," the woman replied. "It is of little importance for you."  
"Who are you?" the man asked.  
"I am a disciple of the Radiant God, tasked with the duty of helping in the creation of the perfect world."  
"Yeah, he wanted to make us all mindless puppets," Hope spit with venom. "I was one of his victims."  
"You are simply misguided. This time the wish will come true and everyone will bask in the light of Luminous."  
"How do you plan to do that? It's not like this world has magic like in the old world," the man inquired.  
"The power of the savior will shine upon the tainted and purge them. She will lead the people to the world of light where bliss is eternal."

Emma was growing mad with each word of the mysterious woman. She kept going around some kind of 'god of light' and it sounded like he wanted to use her to create _a whole new world_. That was something different from what she faced since her task as the savior was bringing happy endings to the denizens of the Enchanted Forest, not help some nebulous deity create a world.

"I have no idea what is your plan, but I don't intend to help some god in whatever he's planning," Emma said.  
"Such defiance... It will not be so!" The woman floated into the air and cast a spell, tentacles of light energy caught Emma and Hope by their limbs.  
"What do you intend to do with us?" Hope demanded.

Then Emma burst in black light and was released from the tentacles' grip. Hope watched Emma with astonishment, while the other woman appeared to be frightened.

"Is this savior also doomed?" she cried out and suddenly disappeared in black smoke.

The two looked at each other confused. What just happened?

"Emma, how did you—?"  
"I-I don't know. The situation was starting to get on my nerves and I wanted to show some of her own medicine and then _that_ happened. Do you know what was that?"  
"It appeared similarly to a force the god that woman spoke of which he cannot see—Chaos," Hope replied solemnly.  
"I heard that term a few times before. What is it exactly?"  
"A substance which is unseen to gods' eyes, one which can destroy entire universe if it'll escape its prison."  
"And I have that? I'm not from your world."  
"It might be Chaos or not." Then Hope changed the subject although Emma's display of powers still intrigued him, "We now have some lead. Let's return to the town."

Emma nodded and together they set to go back to the town. The mysterious woman didn't reappear, this somewhat calmed the two.

* * *

**New World. Year Unknown**

Jihl arrived at the countryside farm. According to her intel Sazh Katzroy and his son, Dajh, settled down here. Her visit was not of the 'happy reunion' sort, it was a different sort of meeting. Soon the two men were about to pay for their crimes.

The bell at the door sounded. Sazh didn't expect any guests today so he was wondering who might that be. He stood up and left the living room where he was watching television and approached the door. He looked through the viewfinder and much to his shock he saw Jihl Nabaat: the very same woman who put him through much pain before Cocoon's fall.

He wondered what she wanted from him. After all she was a mysterious woman, one not easy to read. Sazh was confused of what to do: ask her to leave and never to return or to invite her inside. Either option didn't sit well with him. He would actually prefer to get rid of her, but what would that make him?

"Who's there?" he finally asked.  
"Good morning, I am Jihl Nabaat," the woman replied. "I am looking for Mister Sazh Katzroy."  
"What for?"  
"I'd like to make amendments, Mister Katzroy."

_Damn!_, Sazh thought. _I should have pick my words better._

"After all you put me, my son, and my friends through, do you think simple apology will cut it?"  
"I do not know, but certainly these closed doors are an effective way to prevent such from being effective."  
"There is a table and a pair of chairs at the porch. I'll be there in a minute," Sazh replied, already regretting his decision.

A moment later Sazh arrived with two glasses and a jug of lemonade. Jihl simply smiled; Sazh knew that smile all too well.

"That is very kind of you, Mister Katzroy," she complimented.  
"Just because I was a Pulse l'Cie doesn't mean I am a monster," he scoffed.  
"I didn't mean to imply that."  
"So how do you intend to make it up for me?" Sazh wondered. "It's not like you can improve my and Dajh's life, we're fine as it is."  
"There is a way. In fact I brought the means of doing so with me."

She then suddenly revealed a black and white checkered box with a large light blue heart on its cover.

"That's—!"

Jihl quickly opened the box and a ball of light emerged from Sazh's chest and entered the chest. The man then collapsed, Jihl smiling mischievously.

The woman then sipped some of the lemonade and left the man. He would wake up later today with no recollection of what happened. She now proceeded to the village where at school Dajh was studying, his soul also to be locked away in the coffer of souls.

* * *

Some time later in the town where Claire, Serah, and Snow lived, the three returned from their work. When Serah entered her and Snow's bedroom she gasped in shock: an oracle drive was sitting next to the survival knife she once gave to Claire in the old world.

"Claire, Snow!" she shouted and the two quickly arrived.  
"What's wrong, babe?" Snow asked.  
"You should see it for yourselves," Serah replied.

The three entered the room and Claire and Snow were shocked to see the device.

"How did it end up here?" Claire asked.  
"You don't think it's some kind of paradox effect, do you?" Serah asked concerned.  
"How would that even be possible? We defeated Bhunivelze," Snow said.  
"He crystallized, not exactly died," Claire noted. "You said it yourself—'remember the legends: l'Cie who fulfill their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life'. It's possible that something like that happened to him."  
"Not exactly comforting words," Snow admitted. "But how would he even do that? Isn't he in that Unseen Realm or whatever?"  
"I don't know. Caius might know but there's no way we could reach him," Claire pondered.  
"Should we see what's inside it?" Serah suggested.  
"Honestly, I'd rather not. The prophecies led to some serious disasters and I enjoy peace for once," Snow said.  
"Even so, they gave us some sort of warning and allowed us to prepare for the catastrophes. I say we watch it," Claire suggested, although she also shared Snow's fear but chose not to show it.  
"Okay, let's do it," Serah said and extended her hand towards the object and a projection of an ellipsoidal screen appeared above the oracle drive.

The vision showed two women resembling Claire and Serah in embrace, slowly turning into a crystal, with Chaos emerging from them and covering the world. Then the illusion shifted to a blonde woman with strings attached to her, Bhunivelze high above her with the cords in his hand. Last thing to appear was the woman performing powerful magic which engulfed the vision in bright light. After this the screen shut down and the three people watching it stared at the object with confused looks.

"What was that about?" Snow broke the uncomfortable silence.  
"I don't know," Claire said.  
"But why we turned into crystal? Who was that woman? What Bhunivelze has to do with it all?" Serah asked. There was something in the works, but they didn't know what.  
"Bhunivelze only wishes for a world where souls of humanity are his own, and humans are his puppets," Claire said. "He will discard our hearts by any means necessary, all for the sake of being an 'almighty god'," the last words the woman spoke with anger.  
"I'm not going to let _any_ of that happen!" the man declared. "I'll save everyone."  
"What now? It's not like we can wait until Bhunivelze makes his first move," Serah wondered. "Plus, we don't know how this object actually appeared here in the first place."  
"Maybe we should talk about it during the reunion party at Hope's place?" Snow suggested, his hands resting behind his head. "It's not like we'll think of anything on our own."  
"No. We can inform them later about it. After all it will be party, we should make the most of it," Claire said.  
"Are you sure, Sis? What if it'll be too late by the time we tell them?" Serah asked. She didn't enjoy the idea of postponing such important information.  
"We'll tell them, not just right now."

Claire was quite certain that Bhunivelze wouldn't execute his plan right away. He was a crystal now, so even if is capable at the hand, he had limited power, not even a god is without flaws. Right now, the woman wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet and Bhunivelze's impending return appeared to loom over their peaceful lives.

* * *

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

After one final checkup, the doctors said that Serah was in condition to be discharged, although they advised her to rest for the next few days. The woman called Emma so she could pick her up and get her back to Granny's to continue her quest with games. Then Emma picked up phone and without even speaking a word Serah knew that things went not the way she thought they would.

"Any news?" the pink-haired woman asked.  
"_Aside of fact that the vestige was pretty much empty, we have a crazy fanatic who wants to make a whole new world,"_ the blonde stated with strange curiosity. _"It's for some god she called 'Luminous'. Know any god by that name?_"_  
_"Fanatic?"  
"_Yeah, looked like some kind of cult member to be honest,"_ Emma admitted. _"Know any women wearing masks and robes?_"_  
_"No. Hope wasn't able to recognize her?"  
"_Sorry, Serah, but my memories are off too,"_ the man in question replied. _"Although I presume she has something to do with it._"  
"That's bad. Also, they're discharged me a few minutes ago."  
"_We'll pick you up. Just wait in the waiting room, okay?_" Emma requested.  
"Just so you know if I get tired of the wait, I'll just leave and we'll meet somewhere in town," Serah answered.  
"_Please don't do that. The town is in danger as it is,_" Hope said.  
"Are you implying I'm a trouble-maker, Hope?" Serah asked and burst into laughter. Emma and Hope on the other end did that as well.  
"_No, it's just that there's something weird going on and I'd prefer that Snow wouldn't get mad at me at getting his fiancée out of commision,_" Hope replied.  
"All right, Smarty Pants, I'll wait then."

Serah disconnected and headed to the waiting room. She sunk in thought, wondering about the Vestige, the mysterious woman, Claire, and 'Luminous', whoever he was. What she was supposed to do? She started to doubt that she'll find any answers in the games, a different approach would be better. She could find the mysterious woman and ask her about the god, but there existed a possibility of her being controlled without her even knowing what she is doing. The answer to this would have to wait; first she had some games to play.

* * *

Mr. Gold and Belle were strolling together in the park, enjoying the tranquility that surrounded them. After like three quarters the two decided to sit down on a bench and observe nature, a thing that they didn't really do back in the Enchanted Forest. Back then, Belle was a simple maid who was doing chores while Rumplestiltskin was traveling across the world and making deals. Now it seemed that the man finally came to understand his wrong-doing and decided to improve himself. The woman welcomed the change, it gave her hope that everyone can change.

"Rumple." Belle's words caught her husband's words. He turned his face towards her, interested in what she was about to say. "How is it that there are heroes and villains? How is it that there is constant need for a clash between the forces of good and evil?"

Belle's question startled Gold. She raised an important issue: the never-ending conflict between what one could say light and darkness. He never given much thought to battles between the two opposing concepts. For most of his life, he was doing deals with a variety of people, both considered heroes and villains.

"What prompted the question, Belle?"  
"There was Snow White's fight against the Evil Queen back in the Enchanted Forest, then you against Peter Pan in the Neverland, later Regina against Zelena here in Storybrooke, and there were other conflicts as well. Hero against a villain, every time, like a cycles of war of good versus evil. Seems like a must to have."  
"This is just how things are," was Gold's only response. He didn't know how to respond. For the first time in his life, he came across a question for which there wasn't any easy answer.

"I wanted to be a hero just like my mother," Belle continued, "but now that I think about it I don't know if it wasn't just some higher power that made my choices for me, and I wasn't even aware of that."  
"You always did what you deemed right. There is no way someone else made the choices for you."  
"I'd like to believe that."

Then Belle laid down her head on Gold's shoulder and clutched her hands in the hands of her husband. The man kissed the woman gently on the hair and gazed into the distance thinking about her words. Was the 'heroes versus villains' the only driving force of the existence? Now that he thought about it, he heard rumors about a person nicknamed 'Author' who is searched by Regina. This person is said to be responsible for the events of the Enchanted Forest from before the first curse _at least_. If he could find him, he get everything he ever wanted: Baefire back, limitless power without the handicap of the Dagger, and more. He started to consider doing his own search for the elusive 'Author', but there were other things at hand, like the deal he made so many years ago back in the Enchanted Forest. Maybe a memory potion would help him with remembering the deal.

He decided to try it tomorrow. Today he was relaxing with Belle, the only person alive close to his heart.

* * *

Marian was getting frustrated with Robin's recent obsession about the newcomers: Sazh and Dajh Katzroy, along with their strange friend Chocolina. Just when she thought that now she finally got together with him and their son, they could live a peaceful and happy life, complications appeared. While the case of the boy was rather quickly resolved, the case of his father didn't appear it would work out easily. Her only hope was to find the lost of the man and return it to him, relieving her husband from the burden he took upon himself. However she didn't know where to start.

Then a thought struck her: maybe Dajh will know something? After all the two men are family, he's bound to remember something about the events regarding his and his father's soul loss.

She then approached the boy intending to find some information, but she had to be gentle about it. After all, Dajh was still a little boy.

"Hello, Dajh. How are you doing?" Her words startled the boy who was drawing circles in the ground.  
"I'm all right, miss. But my daddy is not."  
"We're working on it. Say, do you remember anything from your world that could help us?"  
"We lived in a biiig house in the countryside and me and daddy used to have lots of airship races," the boy's eyes slightly brightened. "And Chocolina was with us having fun too!"  
"Oh."

Marian was startled by Dajh's words: airship races? What are those? And who exactly is Chocolina? She appeared to be close with the Katzroys. She was likely the key to this mystery.

"Who is this Chocolina?"  
"She was my chocobo chick. Daddy bought her for me during a trip," Dajh slightly smiled as he reminisced. "I'm not really sure, but she is a lady now. Not that I mind, she is really funny anyways."  
"I would go for the word 'peculiar'," Marian argued. "Do you remember anything of how this... affliction came upon you?"  
"No, madam. Sorry."

The woman rubbed her temples: she was getting nowhere. He clearly knew nothing about how he and his father ended up like that.

"Will my daddy get better?"  
"Yes, give it some time and he'll recover."

She wasn't sure if it would be true, but she hadn't had the heart to tell him outright that Sazh may remain like that forever. Not wanting to burden either of them she bid him farewell and left the boy in Roland's care who just returned with her husband from a stroll.

Robin noticed the worried look in Marian's eyes and decided to inquire her about her feelings.

"Marian, is something wrong?"  
"No!" she quickly deflected. "Everything's fine. I just don't know what going on."  
"Two dark curses are a certain way to bring trouble to a quaint town like this."  
"I wish it didn't come to this. All I want is to live with you and Roland in peace, but it appears that such thing is not meant for us."  
"I realize you are not exactly happy about all the difficulties thrown at us, but we'll prevail." Robin gently embraced his wife. "With each other's help there is nothing we can't do."  
"I'd like to believe that," Marian silently muttered into his shoulder.

* * *

Emma and Hope came to the hospital to retrieve Serah. The blonde said she wanted to visit her friend so he and Serah had to wait a bit for her. The two didn't mind it and also decided on some socializing: they hoped that recollecting memories from their homeworld may help remembering some of the lost details.

Few minutes later Emma found herself in front of Hook's room. She knocked a few times and a familiar voice said that 'it's open'. The woman entered and approached the man, putting a hand on his head.

"Hi there," she said with a smile.  
"Good to see you, Swan," he greeted her. "How was the day?"  
"We came upon a crazy woman who kept bragging about some god she called 'Luminous' and his vision of a new world."  
"Care to tell me?"  
"Something about me 'purging the tainted'. I have no idea what it's about."

An awkward silence fell between the two. Hook didn't know what to say. Despite spending so much time in the Enchanted Forest and other kingdoms he didn't hear about something as strange as this. Not even Rumplestiltskin would come up with such plan.

"How's your chest? Any better?" Emma shifted the topic, not wanting to deal with the silence.  
"A bit pale, but I'll manage," he replied with a smirk.  
"Can I look at it?"  
"You miss seeing my rippling muscles already?" he winked.  
"I just wanna make sure you're not making things up. People tend to hide what's wrong with them from those they care about and that's not good," she sighed.  
"So you don't trust me?"  
"I _do_ trust you. I'm just worried about you."  
"You're just like Serah—you worry too much, love."  
"What she has to do with it?" Emma asked surprised.  
"Anyone would be worried if they found themselves in an unknown world. _This_ is what worries her—she has no idea what's going on, and either have we."

Then Hook suddenly yelled in pain and collapsed into his bed. Emma quickly called doctors who forced her out of the room while they examined the man. Just before the doors were shut, she caught a glimpse of small patches of white dotting few places on the man's body. This surprised her as Hook didn't have anything like that. She then considered the battle with the Cie'th things from few days ago the reason for the change in the man's appearance. The whiteness on Hook also matched the one on the Cie'th they fought now that Emma thought about it.

After few moments she found Serah and Hope talking in the waiting room. When they noticed Emma's of confusion their conversation abruptly ended.

"Emma? What is it?" Serah asked with concern.  
"It's Hook. I think he's sick."  
"How come?" Hope asked.  
"He's dotted with white patches. It's like he's turning into a Cie'th or something."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

[March 15th, 2015]

So I finally got to finishing this chapter/episode after over three months or so. We got some background on villains and heroes, some philosophical questions, and lots of other things. I do hope that those who read the story are actually enjoying it: it's a difficult task to writing a post-_Lightning Returns_ story with _Once Upon a Time _setting, but it sure is rewarding.

The next chapter/episode will contain a surprise (and possibly) one-time cameo, because what would a story like this without a cameo be?

Is there anything you might be looking forward in the story? Or maybe you'll feeling that some plot points are underdeveloped? Anything you'd like to share will be of great help and boost for me.

For those interested, I started to create _Final Fantasy VI_ SNES style sprites for the characters that appear in this story, and today the first character appeared: Emma Swan. The link to the gallery with the sprite collection can be found on my userpage.


	5. Episode 5A: Fight at the Toll Bridge

(October 4, 2016)

* * *

**Episode 5A. Fight at the Toll Bridge**

* * *

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

It's been four days since Hook's strange transformation began. His whole torso was already covered in white Cie'th substance and his left hand has started to transform into something resembling a bulb. Emma was getting really anxious, although Hope tried his best to comfort her. Despite having no information about Cie'th, he dug deep in his memories trying to figure anything out. Cie'th, Cocoon or Pulse, were not really well researched due to how dangerous they were. Emma tried the Vestige a few times, but the door wouldn't open no matter what she would do. She visited Hook a few times, but each time appeared to be slightly worse than the previous visit: he seemed as to forget everything, including Emma, bit by bit.

Serah, on the other hand, finished _Final Fantasy XIII_ with Henry and started the second game. She was getting quite emotional over reliving the events of her past. Her most disliked moment awaited her much further in the story: her own death. Just thinking about it made her tremble. But progressing through the game was her only hope to recover even an ounce of her lost memory.

Now the two were playing the Yaschas Massif, 10 AF. Henry, who decided to control Noel for a change, approached a man and a conversation between the three people and the moogle began. Then a Live Trigger screen appeared with a question regarding the nature of the eclipse, which was a result of a paradox, and four responses to choose.

"Serah, which response we should go with this time?"

While she found majority of Live Triggers to be rather dull and more harmful than helpful (she will never forget the terrible rant about Snow she inadvertently chose when exploring New Bodhum), she considered it an interesting concept, just with bad execution.

"I have a feeling that the option under the Square button is a dumb one," she commented. "Go with the Triangle."  
"Okay."

The researcher rambled a bit about the multiple Time Gates which manifested within the ruins which were located deeper into the Massif. With no more information available, they continued to proceed further within the area.

They played the game for the next two hours when suddenly electricity died.

"What the—!?" Serah was confused.  
"Accident at the energy plant?" Henry mused.  
"I doubt it," the girl replied. "It occurred just when we were to arrive at Sunleth Waterscape 200 AF and the animated silhouette for that place had images of Snow. Someone's intentionally trying to halt our progress."  
"Who?"  
"I'm not really sure, but there is this fanatic Emma and Hope met a couple of days ago. It's possible that she sabotaged the facility here," the pink-haired woman pondered.  
"Then why would she cut the entire town from it?" the boy asked and pointed at the window.

Since it was evening now the street lights and shop exhibitions were alight, or they should be, except for the fact there was no electricity. There were also no lights in many apartment windows and the only source of light was the setting sun.

"Just because someone is a bad guy doesn't mean they can't make weird attempts of sabotage," Serah commented.  
"Well, good thing the game has auto-save," Henry said. "Beside, we could use a break. Let's eat something."  
"True. I was getting kinda tired of playing anyway."  
"For the last couple of hours you were _just_ watching," Henry noted and both laughed.

The two then left the room for the Diner down the stairs. Despite a rather cold welcome from Granny, she served them some food as she hastened Ruby to start the backup generator.

* * *

Mary Margaret was feeding Neal, while David was preparing supper. He was occasionally looking at his wife and the child with a note of worry on his face, while the woman tried to maintain a warm smile but with little success. Since the incident with Zelena, the two grew very protective of their newborn son, even more than of Emma, their firstborn. Despite the witch's fall, the two of them still didn't feel quite content about the safety of their child. After living in Storybrooke and encountering one danger after another, their faith in peace was faint, as if discord was the fate of the world. Yet still they tried to be positive: after all they had themselves, their son and daughter, her son, and all their friends at their side.

All of the sudden, electricity went down. David quickly found some candles and lit them, while Mary Margaret was softly stroking the baby's face.

"Why is the power down all of a sudden?" the man asked after he put a candle on a table near his wife.  
"Accident?" Mary Margaret pondered.  
"I doubt it."  
"David, you're looking into things too much. I know we had a lot of troubles here, but we can't blame everything on some imaginary villain whenever a problem appears."

Then they heard knocking on their apartment's door. Who would be wanting to pay them a visit at this time of the day? It was late in the evening, and given the circumstances, a person would stay indoors and tend to their work.

"Who's there?" David asked.  
"We want to speak with the mayor," Leroy's voice sounded.  
"'Mayor'?" the pair asked surprised.  
"Yeah, Mary Margaret," Leroy clarified. "Regina has pretty much ditched her duties as the mayor and given that Mary Margaret was a queen back in the Enchanted Forest pretty much means she's the leader now."  
"All right, I'll let you in," the woman replied and went to the door and opened them.

Aside of Leroy, she noticed two more people: Widow Lucas and Dr. Whale. While the former two bore angry expressions on their faces, the latter's shown great worry.

"If you don't get electricity soon enough, I'll be forced to throw away a good amount of food," the elderly woman informed her.  
"The backup generators won't last long. If you won't hurry, the patients will be in pain even more, and after you no doubt," added the doctor.  
"Shouldn't you call the energy company? Even a mayor doesn't have much control over something like that," David advised them.  
"Grumpy to Prince Charming. This is Storybrooke," the dwarf reminded them. "The things don't work like in the TV."  
"Oh, right," Mary Margaret said as if she was enlightened on a really complicated matter. "All right, I'll see what I can do."  
"But be quick about it. It's not easy living without it."  
"For God's sake!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "We used to live in a magical realm with no modern technology and we did just fine! This curse has really pampered the whole lot of you!"

She then put Neal into the stroller and left. Leroy just looked at her confused, but others bore a different expression.

"You went too far, Leroy," David calmly spoke. "For now I suggest you return to your homes and duties and let Snow handle things." He then deeply sighed.  
"You're not going after her?" the dwarf asked.  
"She doesn't look like she would like more company with her," Widow Lucas replied. "All right, I'm leaving."

After Widow Lucas left it wasn't long time before Leroy and Dr. Whale left as well. Mary Margaret was right: the denizens of the Enchanted Forest has gotten used to the comforts that modern times provided. Maybe a small power outage will bring people's heads out of the clouds.

* * *

**Gran Pulse. Year Unknown**

It's been many years since the Chaos flooded the world, corrupting people's lives, destroying the planet piece by piece, giving birth to new unseen monsters. The crystal pillar which once towered the Archylte Steppe of the old, was now all but a ruin scattered across what now became known as the Wildlands. The large fragment which housed the bodies of two young women was removed at the time of Chaos's flooding was was relocated to the inside of a research institute, which over the time became desolate. As time passed, stories about the two women began to emerge, many of them, becoming myths over time, and the research institute started to be considered a shrine of sorts to the two 'daughters of the goddess' how they were started to be called.

Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang. The 'daughters of the goddess'. Slumbering while waves of Chaos rolled across the land, destroying anything it touched in its wake. Their dreams came in a variety: there were nightmares and happy ones, some even filled with hope for the future.

During one of those endless dreams, there was something off. They were dreaming about a picnic when black mist suddenly covered the area, surprising both women. Then they found themselves inside a crimson chamber, where the floor was tiled with red crystal.

"W-where are we?" Vanille asked scared.  
"I don't know." Fang looked around, but something picked her curiosity. "What the hell!? There are no doors!"  
"What? We can't get out?!"  
"Something is definitely wrong." Fang scratched her chin, "Was that Chaos that brought us here? That black mist sure looked like it."  
"But how did it get to us? Aren't crystals indestructible?" Vanille wondered aloud.  
"With no one to control it, the Chaos must not feel any bounds."  
"We can't be stuck here forever!"  
"Well, at least we have each other, sunshine. Still, there must be some way out of here. It's only a dream after all."

Then out of nowhere red flames burst, dividing the room in two. On one side were Fang and Vanille, the redhead desperately clinging to her friend. On the other side appeared a slender, young woman with long red hair.

"I'm here again..." she said. Then noticed two women she didn't notice before. "Oh, hello there. Who might you be?"

Fang wrinkled her forehead and shielded her friend with her arm. She looked warily at the newcomer. Who was that girl? She looked innocent, like Vanille, but was she really that way?

"Who are you?" Fang asked.  
"Oh, it is so rude of me to ask you your name without giving mine. I'm sorry. I'm Giselle."

* * *

**Storybrooke. Present Day**

There were fewer people than usual in the Diner; most of the clients retreated earlier to their homes. Despite that Ruby was rushed around by Granny; Mary Margaret was yet to bring back electricity and they had to use backup generators. Still, this situation had a charm: eating with candles sure gave a mysterious and a somewhat foreboding feeling.

Serah was enjoying a meal with Henry and Emma. She also 'convinced' Hope that he also needed to eat with them, her 'convincing' being mainly telling him how after waking up Claire will feel seeing him so miserable not caring for himself.

Time moved slowly, filled with little talk like weather and stuff, when suddenly Robin entered the Diner, breathing heavily.

"Robin? What's up? You don't look good," Emma asked.  
"Something's happening at the Toll Bridge," he gasped. "Some kind of a dark portal, lightning strikes in all directions. I commanded my men to not come close it."  
"This sounds like a certain man I once read about," Hope said. "It's said he was banished by his master into the Rift, destined to wander it forever, occasionally popping here and there."  
"Is he dangerous?" Serah inquired.  
"Considering the world we're coming from, likely."  
"Can I come too?"  
"Henry, no. It became really dangerous the past few days. I'd prefer if you stayed out of trouble. Maybe go to Regina, your company will help her with how the things are now."

Emma looked at Robin for a brief moment, somewhat ashamed for what she did. The man just looked away, not sure what to say.

"Let's go," Serah said. "And you listen to your mother, young man," her voice became teasingly serious, "we don't need another victim in town."  
"Meanie Miss Farron," Henry teased.  
"Oh, I'll show you what 'mean' means, mister!" the girl replied with a smile.  
"_Very_ Meanie Miss Farron."  
"Out with you! To your other mother!" and Serah pushed Henry out of the Diner and sent him away to Regina's.  
"Someone is enjoying themselves, I see," Hope said, a smile also painting on his face.  
"But you know, that _was_ mean of you," Emma stated.  
"Happens to everyone," she replied.  
"Erm..." Robin stuttered. He was unsure of what to think about the situation, "Shall we get going?"  
"Y-yes," the blonde provided and the four went to

* * *

Henry stood in front of Regina's house. He was thinking about the conversation he had with her a few days ago about the 'Author'. It was actually quite strange that even though quite a lot of time passed since breaking the first curse and Regina's gradual change for the better, it seemed almost suspicious that her happiness was running away from her. Sure, Emma did help Marian back in the altered timeline of the Enchanted Forest, but she did it to save her. Or was it already written in the book that such turn of events would come to pass?

He knocked on the door, announcing his arrival. When he entered the house, he noticed that Regina was seating in the living room, carefully examining a large book. _Once Upon a Time_.

"Hi, Mom. How's it going?"

Regina deeply sighed, a sign that it was not going as well as she hoped. "I've read it like twice already and tested it on the presence of any magic, but nothing. There must be _something_ in here that can help us."

"Maybe you're trying too hard?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I heard that the most obvious things are easily overlooked when looked for in a hurry."  
"Then what are we overlooking? What am _I_ overlooking?" Regina wondered aloud.  
"I don't know," Henry admitted defeated. "But if anyone can do it, it's _you_. I believe in you, Mom," and he smiled. "Take a break for now. Let's eat something."  
"Sounds good."

She smiled and closed the book. The two of them went to the kitchen and prepared supper. It was nice, enjoying themselves, just the two of them. They haven't had much opportunity to do it for the past few months, with all the trouble surrounding Storybrooke. Even if it was just a fleeting moment, it was worth it.

* * *

Emma, Robin, Serah, and Hope arrived at the Toll Bridge about thirty minutes later. Like the bandit said there was indeed some dark portal, lightning cracking from it.

"It looks kinda like the Dark Curse, but something is different," Robin commented. "It's not covering the town, just this tiny spot."

Then a loud thunder boomed and a grayish hand wearing a purple glove appeared from it. Then gradually he emerged from the portal. As he was finishing he performed a high leap, landing in front of Robin.

"Long have I waited for this, Bar...tz..." the mysterious man started, but stopped mid sentence  
"Who are you?" the bandit replied, aiming at him.  
"That's _my_ line!" the mysterious man replied.  
"Never seen _this_ guy before," Emma said.

Now they looked at the man from the portal more closely. He was a rather tall, muscular man, wearing a red and silver light armor. His face had red tattoos and on his head he wore a red horned hood with a bright blue tail. His waist was girded with a purple and gold belt. However the most unusual thing about this man were his arms: he had _three_ pairs of them, _six_ arms. In each hand he carried a different blade, each with its own, distinct look.

"But _I_ have seen him!" Serah exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "I fought him in the Coliseum."  
"_You_!" the man now replied. "I remember you! You were the one who kicked my behind along with that other kid!"  
"Serah, wouldn't you mind introducing us to your..." Hope paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "...acquaintance?"  
"I wouldn't call us 'acquaintances', kiddo," the man replied. "I am Gilgamesh, the ultimate weapon collector! See these swords I picked up in the Rift? I think I'm gonna put them to good use!"

Hope drew his trusted boomerang from his pants's back pocket, the trusted blue and yellow Airwing. Serah took out the chocobo feather Chocolina gave her and transformed it into a sword. Robin once again aimed his trusted bow at their opponent. Emma drew her hands in front of her, intending to fight with magic despite still being a newbie at it.

Gilgamesh then charged at Emma, considering her to be the weakest opponent due to lack of a weapon. As he was about to slash her, the woman conjured a wall of light that blocked his attack, forcing him away. Robin then shoot a series of arrows, while Hope assaulted their opponent with a shot from his boomerang. Gilgamesh shielded himself from a few ranged attacks with the help of his shield-shaped blade and attempted to slash Serah with his two swords he held in his forearms, but the girl put her sword between them and the steel clashed.

The strange man then attacked Robin, whose arrows were deflected by Gilgamesh's swords. Serah then performed a diagonal upward slash, conjuring a whirlwind and sending it at their opponent. The wind's strength was so high it launched Gilgamesh into the air, and Robin, Emma, and Hope performed ranged attacks on him, hurting him a bit.

"Hey!" Gilgamesh yelled. "Four against one is cheating, you know!"  
"Says the guy who has six arms," Emma retorted.  
"That just shows my dedication to weapon collecting." The six-armed man then added, "I'm gonna even these unfair odds!"  
"How? You're gonna grow more arms?" asked Emma.  
"Behold!" Gilgamesh said with an echoing voice. "The art of incarnate summoning!"  
"What!?" Hope asked.

Gilgamesh then threw a sword with an image of a green, winged beast into the air, which shone with bright light. From it appeared a demon covered with green scales, yellow horns, long brown hair, and white-feathered wings.

"That's… not incarnate summoning," Hope sighed, barely holding his laughter.  
"Seems he picked wrong vocabulary in the Rift as well," Serah added.  
"Think you're so funny, huh? Go, Enkidu!"

The monster then flew higher into the air, and spin-dived at Robin at such speed it threw the man into the stream below the bridge.

"Now that's better!" Gilgamesh commented. "Three against two is much fairer now, don't you think?"  
"Now you've done it!" Serah replied angry. "I'm _so_ gonna throw you back into that Rift!"

* * *

**Gran Pulse. Year Unknown**

After Fang and Vanille have introduced themselves to Giselle, the other redhead revealed that after the incident with Narissa she started to visit this strange place in her dreams. The meeting with Fang and Vanille was her first visit here when there were other people there beside her.

Suddenly a black mist appeared, emanating from the side of Fang and Vanille, trying to breach the fire wall dividing them from Giselle.

"W-what's happening?" Giselle asked worriedly.  
"It can't be—" Vanille wondered.  
"It seems so," Fang responded, earning a confused look from Giselle. "You see, there is this _nasty_ thing in our world called 'Chaos'," the dark-haired woman explained. "It's only purpose is to bring destruction."  
"That sounds very dangerous," the woman responded with a pensive look. "But… How is it here?"  
"I think that we inadvertently brought it here with Fang," Vanille provided. "Still, it's weird that we ended up here with a person from another world..."  
"It's Chaos we're talking about. It just transported us here, even _though_ crystals should be impervious to it," Fang said.

It was very strange of Chaos to do such a thing. It was known that Chaos was a destructive force and it currently wreaked havoc across Gran Pulse after the goddess's death. This new, strange property was something powerful. It appeared that since the only person able to control Chaos, this substance started to mutate in a horrifying way. It not only bore new, unseen monsters, but could also carry people between realms. Thinking about what else it could do without control was a frightening thing to both Vanille and Fang.

"This 'chaos' thing… what is it going to do with me?" Giselle was wondering.  
"I bet it's planning to use you as a bridge between our world and yours," Fang explained. "In a sense, you'd be like the goddess's gate, Chaos would be slipping from you into your world and gradually destroy it until there'd be nothing left."  
"I don't want to see the world I've come to adore be destroyed. There are things, _people_ there I love!"  
"Then please, wake up!" Vanille begged. "Wake up and never return here!"  
"It will pass soon, but what about you?"  
"Don't worry, lass. Me and the sunshine will not let a little Chaos ruin the world, ours or yours," Fang replied. "Just be sure to not end up in this place again, you hear me?"  
"I'll keep you in my thoughts."

And just as Giselle said that, she started to turn into particles of light, slowly fading away. The three women didn't even have time to say their farewells.

Then black mist appeared, slowly covering the room. A few moments later, Fang and Vanille found themselves back in their picnic dream. The younger woman looked at her friend with a worrisome look. The other woman simply smiled and gently patted Vanille on her head.

"Don't worry, sugar," Fang said with a smile. "Nothing can stand between us and our friends, not even some black fog."

Vanille smiled gently. While many thoughts has raced through her mind, the presence of her long-known friend was enough to put her to rest.

"Y-yeah, you're right."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So I know it's been like 18 months or so since the last update. I just wrote the last around 800-900 words in the past few days, all previous words were up in the file since around the time of posting of Episode 4. If any of you follow my Tumblr blog, you'll see that I changed my original plans of keeping this first part of the story (I intend to have 2 big parts of the story, like OUaT had between season 3 to 5) and decided to divide episodes into two parts to slightly speed up the write-and-post process. I also hope that this change will help me flesh out characters on both sides, or rather all since as you can see in this episode I included a character from another Disney property, _Enchanted_, but also a legendary character from the _Final Fantasy_ series but that one will likely only appear in this episode).

As always, I'm hoping for some feedback on the story. It would really help me, if I had someone to help me fill the story a bit as while I have a general idea of what I want to do and see, I'm having trouble with coming for some more individualized storylines.


End file.
